Ave Maria
by justsomeone2010
Summary: Loki has the Tesseract but he needs one more thing before he can use it - the key to unlocking its power. Thor finds it first, in the shape of a young woman named Maria, and swears to protect her. But maybe Maria holds the key to more than just the Tesseract. Thor/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Thor crashed to earth, a roaring clap of thunder masking the boom of his landing. For a moment he hesitated, kneeling in the rain as he collected his thoughts for the task ahead.

_23 Raven Way, _Thor reminded himself, _that's where the scientist lives._

Thor straightened up slowly and looked around him. He stood in the middle of a pair of crossing dirt roads, quaint little cottages lining the streets neatly. Behind him was a small church, with a vast courtyard filled with gravestones. His keen blue eyes searched for a street sign, and soon found it: Raven Way. His hand tightened around his hammer as he strode down the uneven cobbled pathway to his right, scanning the door fronts for the number 23.

The rain poured down hard, making everything seem even darker than it should be. Thor knew he could stop it if he wanted to and that most Asgardians in his position wouldn't hesitate to do so. But Thor was always sensitive to the mortals of this world, having had to defend them so in the past. He didn't want to frighten them. Besides, the rain was good cover for him to go unnoticed.

Well, as unnoticed as a towering man in a stark red cape and armour, with jaw dropping good looks and a hammer the size of a car tire could be.

By the time Thor had reached the end of the street his blonde hair was glued to his face and neck, and he still hadn't found number 23. Brow creasing, he turned on the spot. _It had to be here_, he assured himself, peering through the darkness.

The path led off into another street to his left, and to his right the road seemed to veer off into nothingness. There had to be something, he continued to will.

A mighty clap of thunder sounded overhead – and then Thor saw it. A small way off the road to the right was a tiny house, now illuminated in the white glow of lightning. In a flash it was gone, but not before Thor was already stumbling towards it.

The closer he got, the more he could outline some of its features. The house looked older and more fragile than the rest, its double floored body seeming to bend slightly as if it were tired. The windows and door looked battered and uncared for, yet strong and durable, rocking slightly from the force of the wind but still keeping their place.

Thor liked it. It had spirit. Stepping up to the door, his eyes caught the flash of wet silver: 23.

He smiled a sigh of relief, then remembered why he was here and pounded his spare fist on the door. There was a clanging fumbling from within the house before the door cracked timidly open.

A pair of round brown eyes blinked up at him through the small gap. They widened when they glanced down at his attire, the white fingers around the frame twitching.

Before the door could be closed on him, Thor's hand shot out – a little too forcefully – and the door flung fully open, the little figure behind it leaping clear. Thor cursed his lack of care as the girl stood wide eyed and shaking just inside the house, her chest heaving with rapid breaths.

"Are you from S.H.I.E.L.D?" she gasped before Thor could think of what to say.

His brow furrowed again. "No."

The guarded edge in her eyes told Thor she didn't believe him. "Then who are you?"

"I am Thor Odinson of Asgard." The proud boom was automatic, but he mentally snarled at it as the girl trembled more violently. He linked bright blue eyes solemnly with hers and lowered his voice. "I assure you, I mean you no harm."

He meant it. He knew he meant it. Question was would she know he meant it? Gazes locked together, Thor could practically read what she was thinking. She was afraid. Deeply afraid, even if her eyes were as hard as marbles. Her lips parted slightly, drawing in great gulps of oxygen.

"I'm here to help." Spilled unintentionally from his lips.

The girl seemed to stop breathing entirely at that. Suddenly, her body was stone still, but her eyes flickered glisteningly up at his, breaking at last. "H-help?"

Thor could see her mind whirring in her head, working out if he was a threat or not, if he was who he said he was. For a moment, his heart stopped in his chest, worried about what he might have to do if she denied him entry.

He watched her closely.

Finally, she gulped. And nodded.

XXX

Thor eyed the trail of water he'd brought into the house with guilt, trying to avoid the girl who was hanging his cape up to dry, flinging towels along to floor to soak up the moisture and sparing one for him, left on the table for him to use.

He scooped it up with one hand and ran it over his wet face, fluffing his hair.

"You said your name was Thor?"

Thor glanced up, and found the girl's still slightly wide eyes by the front door. _She doesn't trust me enough to be near me yet_, he observed in his head.

She'd placed him at the tiny table in the miniscule kitchen space just inside the door. The house really was small. Thor could see the living room on the other side of the floor, cramped with a sofa, a small box television and a piano facing out from the wall along the side.

He leaned back in the small chair. "Yes." He affirmed. "I have come in search of the scientist Timothy Sorin."

The girl's tense shoulders dropped instantly. The fear had gone; suddenly her eyes looked vacant. "I'm sorry, he's dead." she gulped. "You're ten years too late."

Cold flooded through Thor's system. "Dead?"

She nodded.

Thor's gaze drifted away, falling to rest on the empty kitchen sink. "Then I must tell my father." His eyes flickered back to her. "His research – is it lost?"

"I don't know." The girl's head jerked. "S.H.I.E.L.D took most of it."

"When did this happen?"

"A week before he died."

Thor looked back to the kitchen sink. Odin had to know this.

"When you say Thor," the girl gulped, reclaiming his attention. "Do you mean the Norse God Thor? God of Lightning and such?"

A grin tugged at Thor's lips automatically. "You know of me?"

The girl shrugged. "My father told me about you. He said it'd be important one day." Her arms wound up to hug her narrow body. "But is it true? As in… are you real? The truth behind the legend, I mean?"

"You do not think me real?"

A small smile graced the girl's lips, and she ghosted her eyes away briefly, searching for the right words.

Thor studied her as she did so. She was young to him, twenty years old or so, though her innocent looks made her seem younger. Her hair fell in loose fair brown waves over her shoulder, her entire frame so slight and slim it bordered on thin. Her face was sweet as a child's, with her big brown eyes and small features. She was small in height, Thor thought. Her head would barely come to his chest.

But she was pretty. _More than pretty_, Thor thought silently, _she's beautiful. For any woman, let alone a mortal. _

"It's not something I can just believe." She finally said, though her gaze still lingered further within the house. "I mean, gods and things aren't exactly common here. My father said you were real and I trust him – plus, normal people don't go around wearing cloaks and armour like yours. But…" Finally her eyes met his again. "I guess I'll take more convincing."

Thor rose to his feet slowly.

The girl took a hesitant step back. "Albeit, you are pretty …intimidating, god or no god." She admitted with a flicker in the corner of her mouth.

Thor chuckled, though the sound seemed to rumble around the small house dangerously. The girl still wore a faint smile, but he could still catch the glimmer of alarm in her eyes, betraying that she wasn't entirely joking.

Thor stood, his height towering above her. He faced Mjolnir's head to the table and let his fingers unfurl from around the handle, his armour falling away to nothingness like petals of a metal flower, leaving behind his dark trousers and long sleeved black shirt. _Less intimidating perhaps_, he hoped.

The girl's mouth dropped. She recovered quickly though, clamping her jaw shut, averting her eyes and pressing a hand to her forehead. "Oh my." She breathed.

Thor fought the urge to laugh again. "What's your name?" he suddenly wondered aloud, eyes lingering over her curiously.

Her eyes flickered up nervously. "Maria. Maria Sorin."

_What's she thinking?_, he thought, trying – and failing – to read her doe eyed expression. "Are you afraid of me, Miss Maria?" he asked quietly.

Slowly, her head turned from side to side. "No," she choked, her eyes suddenly glistening. "My father told me about you. Thor, Prince of Asgard, God of Thunder." Her shoulders bobbed in a shaky shrug, before she glanced away sharply and pressed her palm by her forehead again. "Gordon Bennet, this isn't possible…"

"I'm afraid this is no fantasy."

Maria's hand lowered to loosely cover her mouth. "So the Tesseract's in enemy hands and they need the key?" she whispered through her fingers.

Thor froze, his brow furrowing slightly as he watched the small girl carefully. "How did you-"

"My father told me stories about it since I was a little girl." Her fingers curled and brought down to rest over her chest. "He told me about the Tesseract, about the Avengers… about you."

"Yet you still mistook me for a S.H.I.E.L.D agent?"

Maria shrugged. "You might have been. They'd sink to all kinds of levels. I thought they were the good guys too, until they murdered an innocent man for the sake of his research."

Thor watched as her eyes hardened, filled with the same guarded look he'd seen when he first met her at the door. _So they killed her father_, Thor realised in his head, _and they took all of his research. No wonder she doesn't trust them… _

Lightning cracked outside, illuminating the dark sky. Dark.

_It is late_, Thor realised. So late it was early. In a few hours the sun would rise. "You must be tired." He'd forgotten how often mortals needed rest. "Did I wake you?"

Maria's eyes finally settled, but on a blank space on the tiled floor. "No, I was awake already. I have trouble sleeping. Plus, I don't…" she glanced up sheepishly for a few moments, before ducking her head down again. "I don't... like thunder that much. I couldn't sleep if I wanted to."

Regardless, she looked tired. Thor hadn't noticed it before with the light being so dull, but if he looked, he could see darkness shadowing under her eyes.

"You should rest. My business here is done." He said firmly, reaching back to grasp Mjolnir. His armour flaked back into place around his body. He stepped forward and reached behind Maria, hooking his cloak from the wall and replacing the still damp material around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help."

Thor almost thought he'd imagined the words, her voice was so quiet. But having watched her lips move, and seeing the despairing look in her eyes, the way her hands clutched together tightly in front of her chest… he knew they were real.

An unexplainable sadness clutched him. "Miss Maria," she didn't look up. But when Thor's hand peeled one of hers from the other, she jerked her gaze to him sharply. "Thank you for your hospitality. You have been of great help to me." It wasn't very true, but Thor was determined to make the girl feel better.

Maria didn't look like she believed him for a second, a grim look back on her face again. Then Thor pressed her knuckles to his lips and her cheeks flushed.

Her lips parted in alarm as if to say something, but she closed them quickly, thinking better of it. Besides what could she say? Her mind was a daze as the god held his lips to her hand, his eyes glittering at her through his eye lashes. She gulped. And gulped again. Then she bit her lip, praying her heartbeat would settle again before she passed out.

Finally, her hand was released and it flew back to her chest, Maria's cheeks aflame.

Thor couldn't help but grin. Maria was alternating between biting her lip, glancing up at Thor shyly, and flushing deeper shades of red. He grew so amused he let out a short laugh, stifling it quickly so as not to embarrass her more.

"Farewell, Miss Maria." He boomed heartily, meeting her timid gaze as she pressed her lips together in a shy smile, cheeks glowing furiously. Thor opened the door and stepped back into the torrents of rain, smiling at Maria all the way.

_She'll like this_, the god thought. There was a reason he'd left the door wide open. _For her to see._ He turned his gaze to the heavens, Mjolnir soon following, and he whirled the hammer in slow circles. Maria stepped closer to the open doorway, her delicate hand resting on the frame as her eyes were drawn to the skies. She watched, amazed, as with each turn of Thor's hammer, the black clouds above swirled and swirled, until the rain ceased and stopped, and bright stars started to glitter down from above.

Her lips spread in a wide, dazzling smile as she laughed disbelievingly. "No way…" She glanced down to Thor – lowering his hammer – still wearing her enthralled smile.

"Have a peaceful night, Miss Maria." Thor wished, satisfied as he tuned away and walked back up the street he had came.

Maria watched him from the doorway with bright eyes until the last flicker of his red cape vanished from sight. She glanced back up at the sky, remembering what had clouded it just seconds before. "God of Thunder alright..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"_Stay with the girl. She may still be important to us."_

Thor couldn't get his father's words out of his head. He stared out from the balcony, over across Asgard, drinking in the sight of the sleeping kingdom, knowing that there was no telling when he might see his home again.

He was going to Earth. To protect Maria.

_Father said she may still be in danger_, Thor thought vaguely to himself. If they had made the mistake of believing her father to still be alive Loki would do the same, and, like them, would find only Maria in his place. Thor doubted his brother would be so merciful as to simply leave, as he had. _He'd kill her._ Thor's hand twitched around Mjolnir's handle - he couldn't just abandon her to Loki's wrath.

Strategically it was a good arrangement too. There was a slim - but still possible! - chance that Maria knew something of her father's research that S.H.I.E.L.D had not been able to get their hands on. Plus, either way it had Thor on Earth, ready to be called upon should the need arise. Odin didn't want to leave the planets fate in the hands of the mortals, and Thor felt the same. He was going. He'd be needed. The question was when. In the mean time, he'd protect an innocent girl from an untimely death.

It wasn't an ideal plan, but it'd have to do.

_I'll miss this place_, Thor thought sadly, eyes glazing over the nightly twinkle of the stars hovering above his beloved home. Earth was pitiful next to Asgard.

Thor couldn't be sure, but maybe it was simply that sadness that weighed down his heart so heavy.

So much was on his mind though, past, present and future, and he resented his weakness. He was Thor - prince of Asgard, wielder of the greatest weapon in all the nine realms, god of thunder, a great warrior - but exactly that: a warrior. The thought that his next duty would involve no fighting, no marching into glorious battle with his cape blazing and his loyal friends...no, it would involve hiding in a country cottage with a frail mortal away from his brother. That alone had his blood boiling. Every aspect of it was against his battle-craving nature! He'd be hiding - like a coward.

It took all of his strength to remind himself exactly _why_ he had to do it. Biting back his pride the vision crept back into view behind his eyes: Maria, sprawled over the stone floor of her kitchen in a pool of her own blood, eyes wide and glassy, hand reaching out for a saviour that would never come...

He closed his eyes against it.

He was that saviour. He was not about to have an innocent woman's death on his conscience. The humans once regarded his kind as Gods, as people that would protect them. Thor would do just that. He would protect her.

_But..._

His fist loosened around Mjolnir and the mighty hammer thudded heavily to the floor of the balcony. Thor didn't understand his feelings. Usually before a mission he was focussed, confident to the point of arrogant that he would succeed. But this was no ordinary mission, with a simple foe and a simple objective. This time, the foe was Loki, his own brother.

He knew Loki was no longer the brother Thor remembered. He remembered a smart child who he would spar with, who favoured more tactful weapons, and was interested in the skilful side of battle, where as Thor had been brutish and forceful. The brother who he went into battles with, who he drank in the tavern with, who he shared everything with... _but that Loki is lost_, he reminded himself painfully, burying his face in his hands as he propped his elbows on the balcony rail. _Not because he is a Frost Giant. That doesn't matter. He tried to kill an entire race, and he would try it again. No brother I know would do such an evil deed._

And now he would try and take another innocent life, sooner or later. Thor couldn't help but think - if it came down to it, would he be able to kill his brother for the sake of one mortal life? Maria's life.

He was afraid to know the answer.

Before the thought could embed itself too deeply in his mind, Thor marched back inside the confines of his chambers, closing the frail, glass paned doors to the balcony, leaving Mjolnir outside. He had no worries about leaving the hammer; beside himself and his father, no one could lift it.

The god threw himself down on his bed in just his shirt and trousers, amour dissolved.

He didn't know what he wanted to think about. Thinking about Loki was painful. Thinking about Maria was painful. Thinking about Asgard was painful. Thinking about the glorious past battles he'd fought with his friends was painful. His mind was endlessly troubled, and he knew there was little that could help him.

All he could do was wait, Maria's pretty delicate face hovering before his eyes: wait for the sun to rise, and for his duty as Maria's protector to begin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When Thor thudded on Maria's door the next morning, sunshine riding high in the sky after his weather alteration the night before, he expected to see her glowing and rested.

He was wrong.

Shockingly wrong.

The shadows under her eyes were darker and bigger, collecting mostly over her left cheek – too dark and vast to be tiredness. Bruises. His eyes scanned down over the rest of her and located more marks, staining her upper arms and left forearm.

For a moment, his heart skipped a beat. Was he too late? Had the enemy attacked already?

_No_, he reminded himself. _If they had come she would not be stood here. She'd be dead._

"W-what happened?" he forced out, eyes sharp beneath his frown. His fist tightened around Mjolnir out of instinct.

Maria's eyes darted to Thor's boots. "It's nothing." She mumbled. "I fell in the dark, that's all."

Thor's eyes washed over her again and found more bruises, hidden slightly beneath the pale colour of her tights on her legs. Had they been there last night, and he simply hadn't noticed?_ No_, he dismissed. He'd seen her face clearly – her eyes had been dark but her cheek had been unblemished. These were fresh.

"You are hurt." he insisted, stepping himself into the house, and closing the door of his own accord. He couldn't take his eyes off the bruises.

"No," Maria said quickly, glancing up at Thor's taunt face. "It's nothing. Really. Just me being clumsy is all." She gulped and backed away a few steps, all too aware of Thor's gaze. "I didn't think I'd see you again."

Thor strode forward and placed Mjolnir on the table, his armour peeling away from his body. With Maria now loosely trapped between him and the kitchen counter, he could see just how nasty the bruises were. Nothing, she'd said. Thor bet they hurt like hell.

"My mission has changed." He informed her steadily. "I am to protect you in the absence of your father."

Maria's arms folded protectively around her middle. Thor couldn't help but wonder if there bruises there too. "Me? I… I don't understand. What's so important about me?"

"Loki may seek your father out, and if he does he will find you. You are in danger. It is my responsibility that you come to no harm." _Which will be tricky if bruises continue to appear overnight with no admittable cause_, he added in his head, eyes still suspicious.

He watched as Maria turned her back to him and her hands gripped the kitchen surface. His eyes washed over her bare back over the top of her sleeveless dress. No bruises.

"So what happens now?" she asked the wall. Why did her voice sound so lifeless? So dull.

Thor trained his eyes to the back of her head. "I will stay with you and keep you from harm."

"You're gonna follow me around?"

Why did she sound so hesitant? Thor wondered. It was almost like she would rather he leave her to risk Loki's wrath.

"You do not trust me?" he ventured.

He watched Maria wipe her hands over her face, as if wiping away tears. He didn't mention it. "Its not that." Her voice wavered.

Thor tried again. "Then you are afraid?"

Maria's head angled up slightly. "Maybe. Maybe a little."

_That's a yes_, Thor interpreted in his head. Mentally sighing with relief that he'd finally decoded the riddle – and at the same time cursing women for being such complicated creatures – he reached out and brushed his fingers over Maria's shoulder.

She darted round, with perhaps a little more than shock. Was that a wince Thor caught? _More bruises maybe?_

He put it from his mind however, as he secured Maria's hand in his and held it up to his mouth, hovering it before his lips.

"I, Thor Odinson, Prince of Asgard and God of Thunder, swear I will keep you safe." He brushed his lips over Maria's knuckles, like the gentleman his mother had tried to raise him to be. "You have my word."

He kept his eyes trained on her face, waiting for last nights blush to creep back, for her to become shy or smile or laugh with embarrassment.

What he did not expect was for her lips to press together, her sweet face to crumple and her eyes to spill with tears as she broke down in heartbreaking, hysterical sobs.

XXX

"You can take my room. There's nothing else."

Thor followed Maria up the stairs tentatively, feeling cramped in the confined space of the house. Walking through it like this made him question if he could really live like this after being so accustomed to the palace in Asgard.

She walked through the door directly in front of the stairs and Thor followed, keen to be in wider space.

He soon stopped in his tracks when he remembered where he was. "These are your chambers?"

The room was tiny! With a small single bed in the middle of the room and a tall wardrobe opposite there was hardly much moving space for a man of Thor's size. Maria, however, skirted nimbly around the end of the bed so it was safely between her and the god.

Maria shifted awkwardly across the room. "I- I guess you could call it that."

Thor took a step forward, his eyes drinking in the room around him. Pale walls, and pale carpet, with small bedside tables either side of the head of the bed, filled with pictures and photographs.

He moved closer for a better look. "Are these of you?" he asked, picking one at random and holding it up.

"Yeah…" she said quietly. "Me and my dad."

Thor studied the man he'd come to find. He looked young, with mild wrinkles lining his forehead and around his mouth. His hair was light brown, the same shade as Maria's, and so were his eyes, crinkled in the corners with glee, mirrored in those of the girl he had his arm wrapped around.

"How old were you?" Thor murmured more to himself than to anyone as he moved his attention to the little girl.

Across the room, Maria shrugged. "Ten. Maybe less."

Still, Thor could recognise her as herself. She still had the wavy light hair and same shade of eyes, same slight, though undeveloped frame.

But there was something about the girl that Thor did not see in the young woman across the room from him now. The girl's eyes were bright with life and happiness, her smile stretched so wide across her face, Thor was sure it must have ached her cheeks. Her whole face brimmed with beaming joy, so wonderful Thor found his own lips curving just looking at it.

Then he glanced up and his smile was weighted. Maria's dull eyes were angled to the wardrobe, her face drawn and sombre. Her mouth was stiff. No hint of a smile.

_What happened?,_ he wondered sadly to himself.

"There's the bathroom across the landing," she said, folding her arms consciously over her middle again. "And there's towels in the cupboard. Spare tooth brush there too. There's some clothes in the bottom draw," she motioned loosely to the wardrobe. "But I can get more if you want."

Thor drank in the information. "You seem well prepared."

Maria shrugged. "My father warned me. He said someone might come one day." Her eyes flickered, and met Thor's bright blue eyes briefly. "He was right."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning Thor woke staring blankly at the ceiling in Maria's room. He rolled over and stared at the photos, his eyes lingering over the young girl's gorgeous smile. _What happened?,_ he wondered sadly, his chest painfully tight.

He'd listened to her cry last night. The moment his door had closed she seemed to give out trying to hide it, and he could hear her for what felt like hours. It'd been hard to stay put. He remembered clenching his fists in the sheets as if to anchor him to the bed, stopping him from going and comforting the weeping woman. It'd been all his fault. It had felt like a lifetime before the sobs finally quietened and the house was silent. After that, there wasn't a sound to be heard.

Thor had still found it hard to sleep.

He slinked out the bedroom as quietly as he could, leaving Mjolnir inside. He squeezed his hulking frame down the stair case slowly, cursing every time the old wood groaned under his weight. When he finally stepped down onto the floor again he breathed a sigh of relief.

Daylight peeked out brightly between the cracks in the curtains but the house was still reasonably dark from the drapes. He didn't dare touch them; the tiny woman laid out on the couch was soundly still. Thor wondered forward into the living space till he was crouched in front of the couch, staring at Maria's sleeping face. She looked so peaceful, her eyes closed and relaxed, her lips pressed together softly. All ounce of tension was gone. Her hair was splayed adorably over the arm of the couch where her head lay, her delicate hand resting by her cheek. Thor tipped his head to the side as he watched her. _This is how she should be. At peace. Not scared. Not in pain. Not alone._

As gently as he could, his fingers reached up and brushed away a stray curl that was falling into her eye. Thor didn't think he'd ever seen anything more beautiful.

A thin blanket was draped over her body but it fell short, slipping from her waist, revealing the grey mans shirt she slept in. Thor carefully peeled the blanket higher up to the nape of her exposed neck.

Satisfied that Maria was at peace and would remain so, Thor rose and went back upstairs, exploring the bathroom. He was surprised to see that an old house like this one had a shower installed but he ran the taps of the bath regardless. They would make less noise than the shower, he reasoned. He wasn't risking waking Maria for anything.

He didn't take long to wash, anxious to be there for Maria when she finally woke. He washed and dressed quickly, back downstairs running his fingers through his damp hair within twenty minutes.

Maria was still asleep.

Or so he thought.

A sharp gasp from the couch drew Thor's attention from the window out of which he'd been gazing. He moved to the living room in a shot. "Miss Maria." He crouched down again as Maria's eyes snapped open and found his instantly. The clear brightness of his blue eyes seemed to calm her frantic heart.

Her hand pulled up from beneath the blanket and pressed over her heart. "Oh God." she breathed. "You."

"I am here. You have nothing to fear." he reassured, though he was quite sure that wasn't what she meant, judging by the blunt tint in her voice.

He bowed his head slightly, then rose to pull open the curtains from the windows. His back turned, Maria straightened up on the couch, pulling the blanket up with her, holding it to her chest as she watched the god consciously. Sunlight streamed suddenly into the house and Maria covered her eyes with her hands.

"Jesus!"

XXX

"Right. Agenda for the day: clothes, food, flowers."

Thor said nothing as Maria led him through the town centre, talking more to herself than to him. Any other day he might have been intrigued by the mortal setting around him, the centre filled with shops and stores the likes of which Thor had never seen before. But his mind was still troubled.

More specifically - he thought, eyeing the woman ahead - by _her_.

She'd barely been able to look at him all morning. She was still upset, Thor understood. From the moment she'd opened her eyes, breaking that blissful spell of sleep, she'd gone back to scared and defensive, her shoulders tense, her eyes suspicious, her voice wary.

The journey to the city had been brief. An hours journey or so. The walk through the field was uneventful, but as soon as the city bloomed around them Thor had been interested. Maria - in as dull as a mood as she was - showed him hospitality in her home. She helpfully pointed out helpful places: the hospital, the town square, the library, the shopping centre... and that was where they were now, scouring up and down the stores until Maria found the one she was looking for. Thor followed silently.

He wish he'd brought Mjolnir. He longed to feel the powerful weight in his hand, so at least he didn't have to feel as useless as he truly was. Mjolnir couldn't make Maria happy, but it could keep her safe. At least Thor could feel he was doing the mortal woman some duty.

"Here."

Maria stopped, and Thor nearly walked into the back of her. He stumbled to a clumsy halt to avoid her, just as she darted forward beneath the glowing sign that read 'Primark'. Thor followed cautiously.

The shop felt like a woman's shore. Everything seemed light and feminine, and the further Maria led him into the store Thor saw more and more mortal women, and more and more womens merchandise. He gulped in discomfort. Why was Maria bringing him here? Thor trained his eyes ahead and clenched his fists, clinging to all the discipline and dignity he possessed.

Finally they reached the end of the store and the doorway was in sight. Thor's heart leapt with hope at the thought of being able to leave, but at the last minute Maria swerved and began to trot up some stairs, leading to the second floor. He groaned quietly, and followed.

The second floor though was a hundred times worse than the first.

Before the stairs he'd had to wade through simple women's clothes, shirts and jeans and skirts, then jewellery, and shoes and other accessories he did not understand. But this... this was torturous. The second floor had men's clothes alright. Thor could see them - on the other side of the store. It was what lay between them that scared him.

Maria didn't give him time to protest though. She marched ahead carelessly.

Thor glared at the baby clothes as they passed, wishing they could go on forever. They ran out all too quickly, and Thor was forced to follow Maria through the stalls bearing women's undergarments. He tried to train his forward - far beyond Maria - and to close his mind, but he was surrounded. Everywhere he looked were women, seemingly oblivious to the man in their midst as they handled the items feverishly, holding items to their chest and gossiping about things that had Thor gulping till his throat was raw. His heart hammered in his chest, trying to cling to his gentlemanly composure.

By the time he was finally enveloped in suits and shirts, his cheeks were aflame and his eye twitched. He was thankful that Maria didn't even glance back at him, striding forward purposely.

Once again, Maria stopped abruptly. This time, his mind still a daze, Thor crashed into her. His hands instinctively found her shoulders to hold her steady as he righted himself of his own accord, trying to ignore the way Maria's shoulders stiffened under his touch.

"God." she muttered, subtly easing herself free, cheeks pink.

Thor hand fell to his side uselessly. He cleared his throat. "Have you found what you seek?"

Eyes widening as if suddenly remembering something, Maria span around and fumbled with the clothes on the wrack. "Just about." She turned back with a pair of jeans in her hands and unfolded them, holding the waist band to Thor's hips. The god leapt back immediately, shocked (perhaps still on edge from the previous section), and Maria arched an eyebrow at him. "You want to wear those forever?" she snapped, nodding at the black trousers he currently wore. "Stay still. I just need to find the right size then I'll leave you alone, alright."

Thor watched her carefully. "You... think me offended?"

"Well, you won't even let me measure you for clothes."

_An innocent manoeuvre_, he decided reluctantly. The people of this world were strange. He stepped forward unwillingly, and instantly Maria was comparing the trousers to those he already wore.

"Perfect." Maria withdrew quickly, and swung the jeans over her arm along with another matching pair. She blinked up at him. "What sort of shirts do you like?"

Thor was lost. But after a short while of searching with Maria's aid - and mercifully less intimate 'measuring' involved - they'd wracked up a total of six shirts, a jacket and an extra pair of boots, which Thor made himself usefully by carrying them on Maria's behalf. They'd just walked back down the stairs to the first floor of the store, when Thor suddenly had an idea.

He caught Maria's arm gently, relieved when she didn't flinch or yank away. She frowned at him questioningly. "Maria, you mean all this for me." She continued to stare at him. He cut to the point. "You should buy something for yourself."

He wasn't sure what reaction he expected, but it certainly wasn't the one he got: Maria's stiff demeanour cracked and she laughed, her mouth drawn wide and her eyes bright. Her hand touched her stomach and she bent over slightly at her middle. Thor watched patiently, confused. Finally, she straightened up again, pressing her lips together against further chuckles, though her eyes still sparkled with a light that made Thor smile with accomplishment. "What would you have me get?" she gasped.

Thor looked around instantly for inspiration. He hadn't expected his plan to work so quickly. Something caught his eye and he marched to it without hesitation. "This."

Maria followed with colouring cheeks.

Thor unhooked the garment from the rail and held it out to her, at just the right angle so it hovered over where it would lie if she were wearing it. The fabric was charming light brown colour, falling to her knees, a thin sash around the waist, with a delicate flower pattern decorating the body. It suited Maria.

"This?" Maria gracefully took the dress from him and studied it carefully.

The god watched her mind work behind her eyes. He had no objections to what the girl was wearing now (a plain white shirt with a black skirt), but knew she'd look even prettier with more feminine clothes, so she could look every bit the beautiful woman she was. Thor smirked inwardly to himself; he always had had a weakness for beautiful women. And Maria was most certainly a beautiful woman, a fact highlighted even more as a humble smile spread on her face.

Finally Maria lifted her eyes to his, still shining with their sudden glee. "Alright."

Thor grinned.

XXX

Thor unloaded the contents of the shopping trip onto the kitchen table, careful not to break anything. "We needed all this food?" he glanced over his shoulder at Maria, who was filling the sink with water for her flowers.

"It's your fault you eat so much." she scolded lightly with a teasing smile.

Ever the gentleman, and proud at having cheered Maria up, he'd offered to carry all the shopping home. That was all the clothes they'd bought and all the food they'd gone on to purchase at another store. The only thing he'd allowed Maria to hold was the flowers they'd brought at the flower store, and that was only because he didn't trust himself to be careful enough to keep them in their delicate condition. Maria had cradled them like an infant on the way home.

Thor stood back as Maria rummaged through the food bags, instantly putting things in the shelves with impressive speed. "I'll take your clothes up for you." she said when she was done, gathering up the bags containing the clothes.

"Wait!" Thor's arm shot out and caught Maria's wrist before she could disappear up the staircase. "You should try the dress on." He explained quickly, releasing her.

He did not see her smile as she ran upstairs, but he knew it was there none the less. Sighing in content, he wondered to the living room and threw himself down on the couch. Finally he'd done something right! After all this time of making Maria cry and hurt, he'd finally managed to turn things around. _And not just that_, he thought to himself proudly, _I made her smile. I made her_ laugh! A grin of his own was just settling on his face as the clattering of steps on the stairs distracted him and he turned in his seat.

The moment his eyes hit Maria though, he jumped to his feet. His mouth fell open.

Maria blushed modestly under the gods gaze as her hand toyed nervously at the hem of the dress. It was nicer than she could have hoped. Thor had a good eye for a man. And though she'd admitted upstairs that it did indeed look nice on her, here and now, under Thor's scouring gaze she was once again filled with doubt. "What do you think?" she finally asked with more courage than she felt.

Thor gulped and tried to regain his dignity. "It looks..." he searched for words that truly described how beautiful she looked, her face practically shining with happiness. "Wow..." he could only breathe.

Maria cheeks flushed. Pressing her lips together in a gleeful smile she turned on her heel and tended to the flowers in the sink, glancing over at the god creeping forward awkwardly. "You made a good choice. I should take you shopping more often."

"I merely wished to see you happy. And to show my appreciation for your hospitality." he stepped forward, and took up Maria's hand in his. He paused for a moment, waiting to see if she'd pull away. He smiled when she merely glanced to the floor embarrassed. "Is there anything more I can do for you?"

"You're keeping me alive." she chuckled, gently teasing free of his hand to take the flowers from the sink. "I think that's enough on your part. It should be me that's doing everything for you, not the other way around!"

Thor chuckled too. "But you are a woman."

Maria glanced over her shoulder and arched an eyebrow at him. "And? Is being a woman a weakness where you're from?"

"Quite the opposite. Where I'm from women are treasured and valued much more than they are in this world." he explained delicately. "My mother always reminded me to respect women."

"I like your mother."

Thor lowered himself into a chair at the table as he laughed. "She always told me to treat a woman with care and honour, for she will bare me children, tend to me when I am injured, comfort me with her presence... it is something she told me to always hold dear." He didn't miss the way Maria blushed and focussed deeply on gathering the flowers stalks with a neat ribbon. "Protecting your safety is something considered unconditional, something to be done regardless of order or circumstance." he went on.

"I wish more people thought like that."

Maria's hands stilled in their work as her voice hardened unmistakably.

She ignored Thor's frown on her back, and gathered up the flowers in her arms. She made her way to the door.

"You are leaving?"

Maria's hand froze on the door handle, as she heard the god rise from the chair and take a step forward. "Yes." she said quietly. "I have to go somewhere. It's Sunday."

Suddenly, she could feel Thor behind her. "Then I must go with you."

She held her breath for a moment, then turned the handle and let the door drift open. Stepping out, she turned to the god in the doorway. "Alright," she sighed, her voice heavy, but brave.

Thor frowned as he stepped out of the house and followed Maria again. She was upset again, but it was different. He could feel it was different. He'd seen the anguish in her eyes, but it was not the same as earlier. Earlier she'd surrendered to it. This time she was fighting. She was braving against it.

"Where are we going?" he finally asked, as Maria led him back down the route he'd taken the day he'd first come to visit her. He could remember the path. He saw the familiar sight of the cemetery drawing near.

Maria didn't look back as she answered. "To my parents' graves."

Thor's mouth shot open in surprise. But as Maria stopped at the low wooden gate and turned to glance at him, he closed it respectfully. "Would you rather I wait here?" he asked softly. He would understand. This was something personal she had to do, and he was an outsider. He would understand.

She shook her head, her eyes gleaming. "No," Thor caught the crack in her voice. "Would you come?" her eyes were glistening with unshed tears as she stared into his. He could see the plea in her gaze. Then to his surprise he felt her small hand close over his, resting on the stone wall of the cemetery. "Please?"

Without hesitation, nor taking his eyes from hers, his fingers gently gathered up hers and pressed them tenderly to his lips. "It would be my honour." he whispered into her skin.

Maria's fingers clung to his needily as she led him into the cemetery. Thor picked his steps carefully, not willing to disturb the graves or the tributes that surrounded them in the narrow space to walk amongst. Maria knew her way well though. They drew closer to the church with every step until they were walking around the stone wall of the chapel, to where the church wall met the cemetery wall, trapping them in a small nook.

And within that nook lay two graves.

Even as Maria bent down to settle the flowers between the mounds of stone, she didn't let go of Thor's hand. His eyes watched her with sympathy. He could feel her fingers clinging to his tightly, to the point her nails were almost digging into his skin. He wouldn't let go though. He would stay as long as she needed him. And he could feel it - she needed him now.

The trembling of her arm alerted him to her crying long before she drew back to his side enough for him to see the tears. They brushed teasingly over the bruise on her cheek.

"I come here every Sunday." she said in a calm voice. "Like how mum would bring us to dad's. She died not long afterwards. She couldn't take it. I still come though. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't." A sad smile graced her lips. "I don't want them to think I'd forgotten them. Never."

His hand closed around hers comfortingly. "They would be proud of you." Of that much he was sure. With such a beautiful, kind daughter, how could any parent be anything but proud of Maria?

"Proud..." she shook her head. "My mother would be more proud of you for picking out this dress! She always said I should be more girly." Suddenly Maria looked to him. "She'd like you, I think. And my dad." The graves re-drew her attention. "I never quite believed him when he said someone would come, but here you are." She nudged her elbow in his ribs. "Why'd you have to prove me wrong for? I hate losing."

Thor couldn't help but smile, and he was glad to see Maria do the same. "I wish I'd met your parents. To have raised a fine daughter like you, they must have been good people."

"At least they've met you now." she smiled, wiping her hand over her face and looking upwards to the sky. "We were always taught that even if we can't see people it doesn't mean they're not there. I bet they're watching us now." Her teeth shone as she laughed. "My dad would have loved this..."

"He sounds like a remarkable man."

"He was. He was my everything. He took care of me."

Thor glanced from the graves to Maria, thought she still stared ahead. _Not good enough_, Thor decided in his head. He wanted to be looking into her eyes as he said this. He reached out his spare hand and cupped her cheek in his palm, gently angling her face up to him. His bright blue eyes captured hers in a heartbeat. He gazed deep into her soft brown depths, praying he would be able to convey just how sincere he truly was. "Then I will take his place." he vowed solemnly.

Maria's hand rose to cover his over her cheek and she smiled. "Thank you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Thor felt a strange sense of satisfaction as he stretched out over the couch, listening to Maria pack away the dinnerware in the kitchen behind him. A smug grin was on his face. He stretched his arms up and laced his fingers together behind his head, basking in pride.

He'd done well. Better than well - he'd done brilliantly! He'd finally made Maria happy.

He glanced over his shoulder at the bustling girl, and was rewarded with a beaming smile. Yes, he'd made Maria very happy.

He wasn't even sure what had clenched it. Was it the dress? Or the visit to the cemetery? Or was she merely getting used to him? Either way, Thor was glad she was no longer afraid of him. He was getting quite settled here.

At first he'd been wary of the small house, but now he could fully understand it's charm. He'd always thought it an appropriate setting for a woman, and now he could appreciate it from a male perspective: it was a _home_. Listening to the sounds of Maria in the kitchen, the smell of the recently eaten meal still wafting gently in the air, it was a place any warrior would look forward to returning to after each battle, with a woman like Maria waiting for him.

He liked to think that one day, he'd have a home and a woman like this. It was almost a taste of the future. It was the last piece of the puzzle. He had his battles and his glory. Now he wanted something softer, something he hadn't yet experienced.

The god was wrenched from his thoughts as Maria dumped herself heavily on the couch beside him. Thor pulled his hands back to his sides.

"Tired?" Maria grinned, her cheeks slightly flushed, as she folded her legs beneath her.

Thor noticed, with a gulp, that she was wearing her night shirt again. Was it that late already? That wasn't what worried him though; he eyed the smooth skin of her thigh warily, thinking back to the store.

"No," he shuffled uncomfortably. "Would you like to rest? Should I leave?" he asked as Maria pulled down the blanket from the back of the couch, half rising from his seat.

"No, I'm not tired." she chuckled, throwing the blanket (mercifully, Thor thought gratefully) over her legs. "Just cold, is all." she shrugged.

Suddenly, Thor noticed the noises he could hear beyond the walls of the cottage: the lashing of rain against the window pane. Glancing over shoulder at the small square windows lining the walls, he confirmed his suspicions. His gaze fell back on Maria, who was hugging her knees to her chest through the blanket, remembering the first night they'd met.

"Would you like me to stop it?" he asked, concerned. It wasn't thundering yet, but...

Maria smiled. "No, it's okay. It's not very fair of me to stop the weather whenever I feel like it just because I have you. Besides," her eyes shone playfully, "It's only thunder I freak out at."

"It's no trouble." He'd probably shut the stars off themselves somehow if Maria asked it of him.

"It's fine. I've dealt with it before and I'll deal with it long after you've gone."

Thor's heart gave a tug.

Maria, oblivious to Thor's conflict of emotions, turned forward to face the blank television screen, and pulled the blanket along with her as she wondered forward to investigate it.

Thor's brow furrowed. He'd made her happy hadn't he? He thought Maria was happy with him around - today at least, she had been! So why was she talking about him leaving? Was that what she wanted? Or -

"You think I will leave you?"

Across the room, Maria glanced at him over her shoulder, her eyes unreadable. "Of course you will, in one way or another." she shrugged as well as she could in the crouching, twisting angle she occupied. "Either I get killed, or I don't, in which case you'd eventually go home, right? It's inevitable."

_No_, Thor thought to himself. There was something else. Some edge in her voice, some shadow in her eye. There was something she wasn't telling him. She was just being objective.

_And why would she want to be objective?,_ an encouraging voice asked in Thor's head.

Suddenly Thor's eyes widened. _To protect herself. So it doesn't hurt._

"Do you want to watch a film or something?" Maria asked from the television set, distracting the god. "There's still a couple of hours to kill."

Thor's frown was back. "A... film?"

Maria straightened up, having pressed a button on the top of the television and the box burst into life, the screen full of colour. "Yeah, a film." She jumped lightly back on her place on the couch. "Titanic's on I think. Not a very manly film, I know, but..." Her eyes gleamed up at him innocently.

"I... " What, his mind yelled.

Finally, Maria caught up. "You know what a film is right?" she asked carefully, as if afraid of the answer.

Thor gulped, his mind searching for references to 'film' from his last visit to Earth. He'd been acquainted with the television, and he assumed this film was something to do with that...

"It's like a TV programme but longer." Maria explained before he could try. "It tells a story. On the screen."

_That wasn't so complicated_, Thor thought, cursing himself for his stupidity. He should have just pretended like he knew! "And what is the story of this..." his mind strained to remember what Maria had said amongst his confusion, "Titanic?"

A bright smile instantly spread across Maria's face. "It's about a ship sinking. It's a classic."

With that she jabbed the remote in her hand at the box and the channel changed, flying right into the movie. Thor peered at the screen as he tried to keep up, but he was almost instantly distracted again as Maria abruptly leapt to her feet. He watched her step out of the blanket and disappear into the kitchen without explanation. His mouth opened soundlessly.

Still frowning, slightly lost, he turned back to the television set and tried to focus on the film.

"I love this film."

Maria jumped back down on the couch, a bowl of small yellow-white snacks in her lap. She popped one in her mouth, absorbed as the man and woman on screen united on the ships deck.

Finally, she caught Thor's questioning gaze and held the bowl out to him offeringly, an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry. Want some?"

"What is it?" Thor eyed the food suspiciously.

He soon wished he hadn't asked, and had just taken the food: Maria cocked her head to the side sharply, her eyes disbelieving as her jaw dropped. "Please tell me you're joking." she said sternly. Thor leaned back cautiously at the look in her eye, but said nothing. "You've never had popcorn? Gordon Bennett, what sort of place doesn't have films and popcorn?" She rolled her head, shaking her hair from her shoulders and thrust the bowl into Thor's hands before he could protest. "Try it." she demanded. "You have to."

Suddenly eager to avert his eyes as Maria fumbled casually to get her bare exposed legs back under the blanket, Thor glanced down to the bowl. He picked up one of the fluffy snacks between his large fore finger and thumb and popped it in his mouth.

His eyes widened. "This is delicious!" he boomed, scooping a handful from the bowl and shovelling it in his mouth.

Maria chuckled and leaned over to take a handful herself from her bowl nestled comfortably in Thor's lap. Thor turned to see how big a mouthful she'd take at once, but was surprised to see the food untouched in her hand, while her other rose to mask an awkward cough. Her eyes darted from the screen to the floor, her cheeks colouring.

"Are you alright, Maria?" he asked, his brown beginning to dip.

Maria's eyes flickered up at his briefly, matched with a shy little smile. "Yeah," she dismissed, looking down again. "I just find these parts a little awkward." she chuckled, nodding ahead.

Confused, Thor glanced back to the television screen. Then he understood: the woman lay sprawled out on the couch on a cabin room, naked. Every now and then the shot would cut to the man and his eyes lapping over the curves of the woman's bare body.

The god smirked as he returned his eye to the blushing Maria. "You are a maiden." he boomed in what he hoped was a reassuring way. "You're reaction is nothing unexpected."

A sly smile was teased from Maria's lips. "Most people don't care. It's just me that's embarrassed." She shifted awkwardly in her seat. "At least it doesn't last long."

Still smirking, Thor turned back to the screen, finding as Maria predicted that the exposing scenes were already over. Her reaction was still fresh in his mind, fuelling his grin. _She is a true maiden,_ he thought to himself, knowing that such a remark out loud would only embarrass her more,_ pure in both body and spirit. _He took another fistful of popcorn.

As the time crept on though, Thor found watching Maria more amusing than the film. His eyes watched her subtly, though he doubted she'd notice anyway; she was entranced by the film. One moment she'd be smiling, her eyes endearing at what was playing on the screen, then the next moment she was biting her lip tensely, her gaze burning with frustration. Thor observed each emotion play on her face with care, savouring every motion.

Except one.

"Maria? What's wrong?"

He abandoned the long empty bowl on the floor and swivelled in his seat as his keen sight caught something disturbing: Maria, hand pressed to her mouth, tears slipping gracefully down her cheeks.

She pressed her lips together in a teary smile. "It's nothing." she waved, bringing her palm to her chest. "It's just sad, is all. I always cry when the music hits."

Still frowning, Thor glanced to the screen. "He is laying down his life for the maiden," he observed bluntly, earning an emotional nod from Maria, "But surely that is nothing less than expected of him?"

Maria's hand slapped down to her lap, and Thor snapped his gaze back to her. "But I don't want him to _die!_ Jack's awesome!" she exclaimed, in an almost desperate voice. Suddenly, she jerked forward again and fixed her teary gaze on the screen, as if determined not to miss a moment of it. "But you're a man, so I guess it doesn't matter to you."

A smirk crept its way onto Thor's face as he realised what Maria was saying. "You think because I am a man I do not understand love?"

He was very satisfied to see a blush creep once again over Maria's cheeks.

"It is true, though," he conceded, sparing her from having to talk through her embarrassment, "That some men view love as a weakness. My brother would be one of them. But not all men think like that. I don't."

Maria's eyes glanced at him sideways. "Then what do you think?"

Thor rolled his eyes skywards as he thought, leaning back in the couch. "I think..." he searched for the right words. "I think love is something precious, and that those who have it are lucky. It has more power than people dare to imagine. That's what my father told me. He said the men who deem love a weakness are simply afraid of that power." He paused for a moment thoughtfully. "I think it is something worth fighting for."

He glanced back down, surprised to find Maria smirking. "Does everything have to come down to fighting with you?"

Thor let out a thundering laugh, throwing his head back. "I am a warrior, Maria. Battle is what I live for. I cannot run away from fighting."

Another teasing smirk answered him, though Maria's eyes drooped and abandoned it a lot sooner than they had before. Thor looked back to the film, watching as the scene flashed through the wrecked ship to the vessels former glory, all the characters reconvening around the stair well. The music played again, the music that made Maria cry and he glanced to see her last reaction as the main characters embraced.

His eyes blinked in surprise when they found Maria's head resting on his shoulder, her small body rising and falling with soft sleeping breaths. _She must be light_, Thor thought, _if I didn't feel her_.

For a moment he just stared at the sleeping girl, taking in the peaceful look that coated all her features. _The crying must have worn her out_, Thor thought with a smile. Careful not to move his shoulder he brought across his hand to cup the other side of her head, and eased Maria off him gently. At the same time, moving as smoothly as he could so as not to wake her, Thor slipped out of his seat and gently lowered Maria down onto the cushions. Pulling the blankets up to her narrow shoulders, he stood back to admire his work. Maria slept soundly, curling up comfortably in the blanket and cushions in her sleep.

She'd never looked more beautiful.

Thor smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The next morning Thor expected to find Maria still sleeping on the couch, the same way he'd left her last night. If anything, he was looking forward to it; to seeing the blissful look that blessed her beautiful features, before she woke up and it was lost to worry and fear.

He did not find what he expected.

He came downstairs to find Maria darting back and forth across the living room frantically. He frowned at her from the stairs. "Maria, is there something wrong?"

She didn't stop. "I'm just late that's all. I'm supposed to be at the hospital in five minutes. I'll never make it."

"The hospital? Are you ill?"

"No," she hadn't even looked at him yet, too engrossed in her task. "It's part of my uni course. I'm training to be a midwife."

Thor stepped down from the stairs and crossed to the kitchen table to where his hammer lay. The skies would be blue again today; regardless of what Maria had said last night, he'd calmed the storms for her anyway – not that he'd let her know, of course. He picked Mjolnir up. Repressing his armour was becoming a thoughtless task now. "Then let us go."

Maria stopped in her tracks. She stared at him from across the room. "You can't come." She said bluntly.

"I must. To protect you I must be with you at all times."

"Nothing's going to happen in the hospital." Maria threw a bag over her shoulder, finally standing still.

For the first time that morning, Thor took in her appearance. She was dressed in strange clothes, not her usual dresses, but in a matching pale blue shirt and trousers and her luscious brown waves were pinned back from her face, so they cascaded sweetly down her back. It was a look very different to the feminine style Thor was used to seeing in Maria.

"You agreed." was all he remarked.

That had been the deal: Thor was to stay with her. That had been his only condition to her numerous demands. Although, consent or not, Thor wasn't leaving her side for the world, whatever she said or agreed to, and moreover, whatever she didn't.

A small sound, crossed between a gasp and a chuckle escaped Maria's lips, seconds before she made a bee line for the door. "No, seriously, you can't. It's not your scene, and you can't waltz around with that hammer in the hospital. That was part of the deal, remember?"

"As was the fact that I am to stay with you at all times." Thor followed her out the front door without hesitation. _Yes_, he thought proudly to himself with a satisfied smirk, _bright blue skies._ Something nagged on his mind though. "What do you mean by 'not my scene'?"

Maria let out a sharp bark of laughter. "You look like sort of guy who _puts_ people in the hospital!" she held the door open slightly, with every intention of having Thor and his insanely huge hammer walk straight back through it.

Thor braced the hammer in his hand, playing his final card.

"I can get you there on time."

Maria froze.

Thor watched as her head rolled back and she whined through her teeth, battling with her indecision. He couldn't help but grin, sensing his victory. It was sealed with the lock of the door.

"Okay, you win." She said, turning to him, tucking the key the pocket of her strange blue shirt. "How can you get me there on time?"

"Like this."

He barely gave her time to blink before his large hand clamped around her waist and drew her to him, while he raised Mjolnir to the sky and lifted them up. He felt Maria's hands claw around him in an instant, clinging to him like a child as he soared them through the air. His grin widened as he imagined her face.

That trip into town yesterday proved to be more helpful that Thor had imagined: seconds later, they dropped to the ground behind the hospital building. He release Maria – and she collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Oh my – we – we –"

"Flew?" Thor suggested helpfully, holding down his hand to her. His grin was wider than ever.

Maria took his hand gratefully. "Yeah, that." She said shakily. She doubled over, hands on her knees as she waited for her head to stop spinning. After a moment, she straightened up, her hands on her waist. Her eyes glistened with glee. "A little warning next time would be nice." she smiled through her gasp.

"There was no other way to bring you here on time." Thor explained, Mjolnir weighing guiltily in his hand. "I know it was part of our contract-"

"Screw that!" Maria cut him off, beaming. "That was amazing." She stepped forward, making her way to the hospital, nudging him in the ribs as she passed with a grin. "You and your godly powers..."

Thor smirked, thinking of all the things she did not know about his godly powers and how much he would enjoy telling her about them one day. He watched her back for a moment as she walked on toward the hospital door, before he remembered himself and strode after her.

"I think I will like this place." Thor remarked as they stepped through the hospital doors, revealing the injured people within. He thought back to his world's equivalent, of the medical attention the warriors received after a battle. They didn't have a single facility as this world did, but the concept seemed the same. Back home, the nurses and doctors tended to the injuries, while the soldiers and warriors themselves laughed amongst each other, boasting of their wounds like medals of bravery. The thought alone made him smile. "I will be interested to see what injuries are to be treated in such a peaceful world as this."

Ahead Maria scoffed. "Peaceful! Yeah right. Tell that to the boys in Iraq and Afghanistan." She didn't give Thor a chance to ask the question she knew would follow her outburst. "And sorry to disappoint you, but the department I'm stationed in doesn't deal with that."

_Let's pause there_, she thought, _until he asks more_. If he was hoping for the manly blood and gore of battle, he'd be very shocked when found out exactly what department Maria was working in.

"Then what does it deal with?"

Maria bit her lip as they reached the stair case, and swung herself up on the rail so she was looking down at Thor. She just wanted to see the look on his face when he heard it. "Midwifery. We help women have babies."

It was better than she imagined; the god's face paled and fell with an amusing mixture of disappointment and dread. _Well_, Maria thought, turning and trotting up the stairs, hearing Thor's reluctant steps behind her, _he _was_ a man. Even some of the expecting fathers couldn't bear being there. _Maria grinned mischievously at how the great manly warrior Thor would hold up.

XXX

Thor left Mjolnir in Maria's locker, satisfied. It wasn't like anyone could lift it even if they found it anyway. And he needed only his bare fists to be able to keep Maria safe. This much he knew for certain.

He followed her up to her ward, where she directed him to a chair outside the room she was working inside, and waited. Now he agreed with her – this was not his 'scene'. Everywhere he looked were women with various degrees of swollen bellies, unless they wore the same uniform that Maria did. Thor had never felt more uncomfortable, exchanging similar glances with expecting fathers sat along the corridor like he was. He wondered what on earth appealed to Maria to want to work in such a place, especially with all the screaming emitting from the room behind him.

Then he heard the sharp cry of an infant and he understood.

XXX

"What happened to your face? Fall over again?"

Maria didn't take her eyes off the bed she was smoothing over, as the new mother was wheeled out to a public ward, leaving the two midwives alone. The bruise on her cheeks seemed to burn accusingly. She ignored it, holding her head high. "Exactly."

Maria could practically feel Jane roll her eyes beside her. "Jesus, Maria, what the hell is wrong with you? How long are you gonna put up with this?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Maria turned and busied herself with something the other side of the room, her back to her friend. That was fine; Jane could shake her head disbelievingly at her back.

"Come on, Maria you've got to do something about this-"

"Jane!" Maria stormed around, her eyes blazing warningly. Jane didn't so much as blink. "Let it go."

Jane Cooper was a force to be reckoned with, so when the same argument rose up every week, Maria knew shamelessly that she'd have to take the gloves off if she was to even stand a chance. She watched as her friend folded her arms across her generous chest and cocked her head to the side, her amber-green eyes just as determined as Maria's.

"You can't just let this go!" she persisted, earning a groan from Maria. "You hear about it on the news all the time. People _die_ from not doing anything about it Maria." she hissed the last part through gritted teeth, suddenly conscious of the still open door across the room.

Maria bit back a scream of frustration. "I'm fine, Jane. Let it go."

Jane opened her mouth to shoot something back, but a soft knock on the door distracted them both. The words died on her tongue when Thor's frame filled the doorway.

"Maria? Is everything alright?" His brow furrowed low over his intense blue eyes.

_Damn that open door_, Maria cursed, bring a hand to her forehead. If only she'd had the foresight to close it. It was the same routine every time she and Jane were delivering together: deliver, then the moment the baby and mother left, Jane would probe, trying to convince Maria of what she was trying to argue now. Today was no different - except there was a protective god just outside the door, listening to every word. _Damn_, Maria cursed again in her head.

She gulped and looked down. "It's fine,"

Almost instantly, Maria could practically feel the change in the air as Jane snapped her head to her friend. She didn't need to see the expression to know what it was: open mouthed, and Jane's infamous 'what the hell? I can't believe you didn't tell me!' eyes bearing into her.

They flickered between Maria and the god in the doorway. "H-he's with you?"

Maria's cheeks burned. "He's staying with me for a bit." she chipped in quickly before Thor could say something incriminating. He eyes flashed up to his, but earned nothing more than his frown deepening a notch. "Thor, this is my friend, Jane Cooper-"

"Soon to be Harriet!" Jane cut in as she swooped forward and took Thor's hand from his side demandingly. She shot a raised eyebrow look over her shoulder, before turning back to the god, sweeping her eyes unashamedly up and down his form. Maria groaned and dropped her head to her hand. "Where can I get one?"

That earned a sharp bark of laughter from Maria. "You're getting married in two weeks!"

"Speaking of," Jane suddenly dropped Thor's hand and turned to Maria as if she'd forgotten he was even there. "You are coming to this wedding right?"

Maria folded her arms across her chest consciously. "Of course I am."

"Then lose the bruises-"

"Jane!" Maria's eyes widened, flashing with alarm. She glanced at Thor as was pleased to see the look of confusion still etched deep in his features as he watched the two women.

"Hear me out." Jane held up her palms peacefully. "Black and blue doesn't really go with your new bridesmaids dress."

There was a moment of silence as Maria's eyes widened again and her mouth opened in a silent question. Slowly, the corners of her lips flickered upwards.

"Charlene broke her leg, and I'm not having a girl hobbling down the aisle in front of me." Jane explained ruthlessly. "So she's out. You're in. And bring this one with you." She winked, jabbing a thumb back at Thor.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"She is very... spirited."

Maria laughed at Thor's careful description, as if he were afraid Jane were lurking around somewhere around the house, ready to attack him if he bad mouthed her. She didn't miss the way he glanced over his shoulder beside her.

"Yeah, she's a handful." Maria admitted conceding as she washed the dinner plates in the sink. "But her heart's in the right place. She's a good friend."

"Then that is a good thing. I do not know where I would be were it not for my friends."

Thor waited patiently as Maria cleared up, stood just behind her as they chatted. His eyes scoured over the back of her curiously; his mind was troubled. Jane's mention of Maria's bruises earlier had brought it sharply back to his attention, and he found himself once again pinpointing each injury on her body with frowning eyes. When she turned around obliviously, his gaze flew to the one on her cheek.

"Right..." she sighed, drying her hands on the towel. Finally, she noticed Thor's burning eyes, and the dark look on his face that matched it. "What?"

She leaned back against the sink, casually folding her arms over her chest. Protectively. Defensively. Thor didn't miss that for a heartbeat. He stepped closer and put his hands on the kitchen surface either side of the small woman, ignoring how her eyes flashed alarmingly at his movements and her body tensed. _No escape_, he thought to himself, eyes locked on Maria as her chest rose and fell with apprehensive breaths. Maybe she knew what was coming as Thor leaned in, the cage of his arms and body impenetrable.

Maria pressed the base of her spine as far into the sink as it would go, nervously unfurling her arms. Her gaze flickered up at Thor's intense blue eyes, transfixed on her.

"What was Jane talking about at the hospital?"

Her heart plummeted with dread.

Thor read the horror written over Maria's face and knew he'd hit it. There was something there he didn't know about, that she was desperately hiding from him. Something that _scared_ her. And that something was responsible for the bruises, he was willing to bet.

"Who hurt you, Maria?" he asked in a powerful voice. One that sent shivers of fear up Maria's spine as she was reminded of the power and the force within the being that trapped her. "I will ensure they never will again."

"No." slipped from her lips before she could help it.

Thor moved closer, till all they could see of each other were their eyes, one set glistening with fear, the other burning with an inner rage, demanding. Still, he could catch the bruise on her cheek. It was like it was calling to him, urging him on. "Tell me. I promised I'd protect you. I didn't mean from just my brother."

He could feel her shrinking before him. "Did Jane say something to you?"

"She didn't need to." It'd been on his mind since he arrived. "She just brought it back to my attention."

Maria's eyes narrowed. "It's none of her business, and it's none of yours. Leave me alone."

She tried to break through Thor's arm but it was solid, and he was pressed too close for her to duck under. It didn't stop her trying though. Thor remained motionless as she struggled, watching the panic and defensiveness growing in her eyes.

"Maria..."

"Let me go." Her voice trembled.

"Before I told you about Loki you were afraid." Thor went on relentlessly. "What were you afraid of? Who hurt you?" he hadn't meant for the words to come out as a growl but they did, dripping with viciousness.

If only she'd tell him. If only she'd give him a name. He dreaded to think of what he would do to the culprit for what he did, for hurting Maria as much as he did, for instilling this fear in her. What on Earth was she protecting them for? His teeth gritted at the merely though, baring in a feral snarl that made Maria whimper.

That brought him back.

His eyes instinctively focussed back on Maria's face, on her eyes, begging, pleading as if - he realised sharply - as if she thought _he_ was going to hurt her. It was the tear the did it though: as the first tear slipped over her cheek, something inside of him broke.

His eyes widened as he took in the woman before him. Really took her in, and what he'd done to her. He leaned back, though kept his hands on the kitchen surface, his eyes scouring over how her body trembled, how frightened squeaks, gasps and whimpers left her lips, how the tears fell one after the other, thick and fast...

"Maria, I'm sorry."

His hands rose from the table top to her back and closed the gap between them, gently crushing the small woman to his chest, feeling her convulsing lightly in his arms. He trailed one hand up till his palm cupped the back of her head, holding him firmly to him as she cried into his shirt.

"I'm so sorry."

XXX

He'd done it again: he'd sent Maria to sleep in tears.

Thor lay in his bed upstairs, staring at the ceiling guiltily. His arms felt strangely empty since Maria had left them and abandoned him numbly for the couch. How could he have done that to her? He'd let his anger get the better of him, his burn for revenge so overpowering he'd forgotten what he was wanting revenge for. He'd wanted revenge for the fear that was so deep set in Maria, that consumed her. The same sort of fear he'd instilled in her earlier.

Groaning, he threw an arm over his eyes and rolled onto his side. His ears were pricked, listening carefully for if he could hear her still crying or not. He'd seen the way her shoulders bobbed when he'd let her be. She'd still wept long after he left. Again.

Everything was quiet now though. Everything was still and peaceful. Even Maria. Thor was sure if he went downstairs now he'd find Maria asleep, her face blank of the earlier anguish as the blissfulness of sleep claimed her. He longed to see that look on her face, rather than settle for the memory.

But he fought the urge to leave the room. He didn't deserve to be comforted in that way - he deserved to wallow in this guilt. He deserved to suffer...

_Slam._

The hard sound wrenched him from his thoughts, meriting a frown instantly. The front door was shutting. Why? That could mean either one of two things, he thought, sitting upright slowly: either Maria had left, or someone else had come in. And both were cause for concern.

He had his answer when the scream hit his ears.

Thor flew from the room and down the stairs with impressive speed for someone of his built, moving as fast as he could to get to Maria's side. Especially as her cries became more broken, more whimpering, accompanied with thuds that echoed bluntly around the house. Every sound dug deeper into Thor's heart, spurring him on.

He was downstairs in a second.

The sight that met him made him freeze in shock. He couldn't see Maria - but he could see the drunken man looming over where she lay on the couch, his fist raining down on something too hard to be cushions. Cushions didn't cry out. Nor did their delicate hands hang over the arm of the couch, shaking violently, tensing sharply with every blow as if her fingers were reaching out for help.

Thor's mouth gasped open in shock as the rage boiled in his chest. Still he couldn't move, as if he could hardly believe what was happening before him was real.

Only when the assailant stepped back and reached for an old piece of piping Thor didn't remember being there when he'd left, did he spring into action.

He leapt forward with a thunderous roar, crushing the man against the wall beside the television, one arm pressed into his throat, while his other hand clamped down over the wrist of the hand that held the piping, squeezing until it fell to the floor with a clatter. Thor glared down at the man with disgust. His dark hair was matted to his forehead with sweat, his spotty face, pale and sickly looking. His mouth was fixed in a grimace.

"Maria..." he growled chokingly under Thor's hold.

The god growled viciously. "How dare you touch her."

The man grinned sickeningly. "She's a bitch. She deserves it."

Instinct pulled Thor's hand back to call for Mjolnir, but the moment the man's wrist was released, he ground his fist into Thor's cheek, hard. Caught off guard, Thor slackened his hold long enough for the man to slip free, grabbing the piping and raising it high in the air.

He didn't make a single step. Thor spun round, hand finding the man's throat again and slamming him down to the floor with a brutal thud. Mjolnir found Thor's spare hand, hovering in an arc high above Thor's captive.

Thor was breathing hard, from nothing other than holding back from killing the intruder outright. In that single moment where Thor had turned, he'd glimpsed Maria on the couch, lying frail and beaten. And he'd caught a flash of blood. His teeth bared, gripping Mjolnir in an iron hold, it took all of Thor's strength to hang on to his self-control. Maria's cracking whimpers tested him though.

"You hurt Maria." he growled, tightening his grip on the man's neck, watching his splutter helplessly, his hands clawing at Thor's. His bloodshot eyes flickered to the hammer; Thor was glad to see fear there when he did. At least this guy still had some humanity left..

He didn't have the breath to choke a response though.

Thor was losing the will to let him just walk out of there. The hammer twitched temptingly in his hand.

"Thor!"

He froze in an instant, glancing back to see Maria. She'd rolled on her side, her hand outstretched and protesting, eyes wide. Well, one eye. The other was sealed shut with the blood that crept down from a cut just above her eyebrow.

That, combined with the feebleness of Maria's voice, made Thor want to grind the intruder into the ground and send him to meet his maker.

"Don't." she croaked, "Please, don't."

Then Thor frowned.

He didn't let up his grip though. "What? This man_ attacked_ you. He deserves no mercy."

He glanced back down to the pitiful creature beneath him, and his hand tensed around Mjolnir again, ready to plummet the hammer downwards.

"_Thor!"_ Maria shrieked. Thor wouldn't turn back this time. This man didn't deserve Maria's mercy. Thor gritted his teeth, bracing his arm. "_He's my brother!"_

The blow swerved at the last minute, the hammer slamming into the floor just inches from the man's head.

The man that was Maria's _brother._

Thor glanced back at the damaged creature on the couch, perplexed. It wasn't possible. Surely, it wasn't possible? How could someone like _this_ - Thor flickered his gaze disgustedly back to the being beneath him - be related to someone like Maria?

Yet, somehow he knew it was true. He thought back to the picture in Maria's room of her and her father. Thor imagined taking twenty or so years from that picture, and he'd have a similar man to the one on the floor. He could see the same resemblance he shared with his father: the same sort of hair, just a shade or two darker than Maria's, the same sort of eyes, though his were narrowed, strained and bloodshot…

Thor staggered upright, releasing the brother to squirm on the floor, and he fought for his breath again. It was true: he was her brother.

The god glanced back to Maria, stepped closer protectively as the brother rose shakily to his feet with the aid of the wall. Her gaze glistened with tears, pleading him to understand, through her squinting eye. "Jason..." she shrugged stiffly.

_Stiffly_, Thor translated in his head, _tensely, painfully_. Because she was hurt. Because _he_ hurt her. His teeth gritted again of their own accord.

He looked back to Jason, his fists clenching with the effort to hold himself back. He could do that to his own sister? He really was a failed excuse for a man.

"Leave." Thor commanded in a low, powerful voice that radiated danger. His eyes glared with such violence it made Jason flinch. "Because you are Maria's brother, you may keep your life. But you will leave this house and Maria, and you shall never come back." He caught how Jason's eyes narrowed and glared deeper, silently daring him to challenge him. "But if you ever hurt Maria again I will not be so kind." The brother stayed silent. "_Leave."_

The growl was enough to send him scarpering. Thor stayed stock still, not trusting himself to move again until the front door was safely slammed shut again, futilely shielding Jason from his wrath.

He turned round to Maria.

Her face was buried in her hands, her back heaving as she sobbed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"It started after mum died. She was the only thing that held us together after dad died, and when she went he just... snapped. He changed. I guess it was the only way he could cope. To make something feel as bad as he did..."

Thor's thumb gently pressed the damp cloth over the cut over Maria's eye, swiping gently but firmly, till the cut was clean. He carefully cleaned the blood that trailed down to her eye, open now, but the whites still blinking away a tinge of red. He clamped the cloth back over the cut and pressured it gently.

"No man should hit a woman." he growled deeply. "And no brother should abuse his sister."

A small smile flickered over Maria's lips, her gaze angled skywards as he treated her. "Is that something else your mother told you?"

"No," He pulled the cloth away, satisfied it would no longer bleed. "_That_ is common decency."

The damage was minimal. Maria's arms had taken quite a beating, enflaming the existing injuries. Other than that it had been hits to her face that she'd endured, over and over again until he'd broken skin and drawn blood over her eye. Now Thor and Maria sat on the floor, Maria's back slumped heavily against the lower end of the couch as Thor leaned over her, tending to her injuries. It could have been worse. It could have been _much_ worse. Thor thought back to what he'd overheard Jane say back at the hospital: _people die from not doing anything about it. _The thought hung gravely in his head.

Without warning, Thor suddenly pulled Maria into his arms and held her tightly. "I'm sorry." he breathed into her ear, feeling her hold her breath against his chest.

"You didn't know."

"It was my business to know. It was a danger to you."

"It's okay. I'm alright."

Thor's hand cupped the back of her head and held her closely again. His fingers stroked over her soft fair hair, tangled from the assault, and he pressed his lips to the top of her head. "I'm so sorry."

"Why does nobody believe me when I say I'm alright?" Maria pulled back and Thor wound his hand from her head to the side of her neck. Maria covered it with hers. "Listen to me. Jane's been on at me about it for years and I didn't listen to her once. She didn't listen to me either. She's not the only one. I think a lot of people know. They just know that I'd deny it if they ever asked or did anything. You've only been here a few days. It's _fine_." Her eyes held his firmly throughout, until she gulped and lowered them. "It's over now."

His thumb brushed over her cheek. Miraculously, the bruise seemed to be _fading_. He stroked over it softly. "I won't let him hurt you again. This I promise."

Maria placed a gentle, reassuring hand on Thor's shoulder. "Thank you." he eyes flickered up to his almost shyly. "For not hurting him."

"I meant what I said." Thor warned, gently easing her chin up so that she was inclined to meet his gaze fully. Once he caught it, he would not let it go. "If he hurts you again, I cannot be held accountable for my actions." He was still surprised he'd been able to hold back today.

Her hand tensed at his shoulder, her thumb pressing into the nook where his shoulder met his neck. She blinked away the quick onslaught of tears. "He's the only family I've got left."

"You'd have him stay even though he'd hurt you? He might_ kill_ you one day Maria."

Maria gulped. "He's the only family I've got left." she repeated.

Suddenly, Thor understood. It hit him like a bolt of inspiration, fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together at last; "You're afraid of being alone." he realised aloud.

It all made sense. It had to. Why else would she cling to a brother that beat her till she was black and blue if she had another choice? Because her only other choice would be to live alone. Thor could understand, remembering his grief after he'd thought Loki was dead. He'd lost a brother, and had clung defensively to what he'd had left. Maria had lost her father, then her mother, and they weren't coming back. He could understand why she wouldn't want to lose anything else.

"You won't be alone." His hand resting at the small of her back pressed her closer to him. "I promise. You're safe here. With me. You won't be alone."

Thor watched as her eyes slowly filled with tears and she bit her lip. "But you'll leave!"

Her hands left him to cover her face as her tears spilled free and she cried again, confirming what he'd thought. That was what she was afraid of most - she didn't want to be alone.

"I won't." he said without hesitation, not caring if it was right or true, although he would've given his life for it to be. "I won't go. I'll stay."

He closed his hands around Maria's and pulled them from her crying face. Protection gone, she bit her lip to try and hold herself together, but the tears still flowed thick and fast from her glistening eyes. Thor held both of her tiny hands in one of his, feeling how she held back. _Like back at the cemetery_, he remembered. Once again, she needed him. And once again, he'd never let go. He pressed his spare palm to her cheek, the pad of his thumb gently stroking away the tears.

Maria gulped in a shuddering breath.

"I am a man of my word." Thor breathed to her. "I mean what I say." They were so close that Thor only had to so much as twitch to have Maria's hands brush his chest. Instinctively, he flattened them there, firmly holding her palms over his heart.

That stopped the tears in an instant. It stopped everything. Thor would have been alarmed as Maria's gasping and crying abruptly stopped altogether and she was silent and still as if she were made of stone, but the calm look she held in her eye, her gaze meeting his across the narrow gap that separated them, told him not to be. Instead, he stared deep into her dark brown orbs, trying to work out what she was thinking as she _felt_ his heartbeat. Her lips hovered apart as she felt the strong steady pulse of his heart in his chest, the intoxicating heat of his skin encasing her delicate hands from all sides.

"I know how it works though." she finally breathed, trying to recover the thoughts that Thor's hypnotic heartbeat had scattered. "I'm an expert." Her eyes darkened, sinking deeper into his embrace. "Everyone leaves in the end. In one was or another, they all leave."

"Maria..." she could feel his hot breath on her cheek. "When will you believe me? I'm not going anywhere. I swear it."

Her face screwed up in an instant. "You will! You will - everyone does. And you will too eventually." Her eyes glistened, the tears welling quickly in her anguished brown orbs. She bit back a sob, her eyes meeting his again at last. "I don't want to be on my own."

She couldn't fight the tears any longer and Thor didn't try to stop her as she crumpled forward, his hands releasing hers and finding their homely places on her back and head.

"Oh Maria..." He pulled her back just far enough for him to press his lips tenderly to her forehead, his finger creeping round to stroke away a stray strand of curled hair. His eyes screwed shut, praying the small weeping woman could feel how much he meant this, how much_ she_ meant to him. "I will not leave you alone. I will _never_ abandon you."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Maria stirred from her dreams, her brown furrowing before she'd even open her eyes. "Ow." Her hand lazily trailed to her head and her fingers sleepily brushed over her forehead, tracing lightly around the thin cut above her eye. She groaned and slapped her hand down again.

Finally she stopped fighting the heaviness that tugged on her eyelids, and surrendered to the comforting warmth that embraced her body. She wriggled her hips and rolled her shoulders, slipping her hand under her cheek as she set her head down to sleep again. Why couldn't she always sleep like this? It was wonderful! She didn't know what it was that warmed her like this but she didn't care. It was just so...comforting. Like being in a hot bath, or hugging a hot water bottle. It tingled at her hips and waist and back, at her front, at the side of her neck, as if the very air itself was heated up just for her. She revelled in it.

Smiling groggily, she trailed her hand down her body, searching for the particularly focussed heat at her waist, longing to delve her fingers in the warmth. Her fingertips touched skin - and she froze.

Her eyes snapped open staring widely ahead at the living room in front of her. Her mind was static with panic, her body going numb. Mouth slipping open in dread, her fingers finally found enough courage to explore. Her hand lightly traced around her waist - but it wasn't her skin she was touching. Her hand flattened tentatively over a long, thick bulge draped across her waist, it's heat enflaming the skin at her side. Her _bare_ side, she realised with horror, finding her nightshirt crinkled up at her ribcage.

A small, frightened squeak escaped her lips.

Suddenly she became very conscious of the heat over her front and beneath her palm. Terrified, she lifted her head from her hand, and crept her eyes upwards.

Words failed her as she stared up at Thor's sleeping face.

The god was sprawled over the couch, head propped up on the arm rest, with Maria's body stretched over his, his arm wound protectively around her waist. Maria hardly dared move for the petrifying fear of waking him, frozen in position, curled up on Thor's chest.

She snatched her hand away from above his heart as he inhaled a deep slumbering breath.

_Oh my God_, Maria screamed in her head. Her alarm only grew when she glanced down and realised that Thor didn't just have his arm around her waist, but his palm was flattened against her exposed, flat stomach. Even in his sleep, his grip was firm. There was no way she was getting out of that unnoticed!

She was too shocked for even tears. She hovered in place, her head peeled away from the god beneath her. Her hand trembled over Thor's, pressed possessively at her middle, as if she could levitate his palm away from her skin.

Her brain started swearing when the arm tightened. Her eyes shot to his face, eyes so wide it hurt as she watched him stir. _Oh God_, her mouth formed soundlessly, _oh dear God! _His head tilted back against the couch, arching his neck so his adams apple stood out boldly. He groaned, and the sound reverberated through his chest, rumbling deeply beneath Maria.

She couldn't bring herself to move. Not that she could if she wanted to; Thor's arm at her waist locked her body to his, even when the rest of his stretched out, his body arching from the couch, his hand moving up her warm back as he stretched his tricep, hugging her tighter to him than before. Finally, he slumped limply in the couch and stilled.

Maria released a long held breath, praying it was over.

Then Thor's head lifted and she instantly found his bright blue eyes, squinting with sleep. He blinked at her a few times, Maria just gaping at him, horrified.

Something in her snapped: the god awake at last, Maria tore herself from him frantically, scrabbling away as if he were going to kill her. She clawed at his arm - which even though he was awake and sitting upright himself his arm seemed attached to her waist. Maria consciously shoved at her shirt, tugging it down to her mid thighs hysterically.

"Maria."

She caught Thor's hands moving forward to her and she panicked, leaning back sharply - far too much to keep her balance! Her gaze met Thor's, just an instant before Maria overbalanced and rolled backwards over the edge of the couch.

A high pitched yelp accompanied the thud.

"Maria!"

Thor was alert. He was most definitely awake now! He slipped from the couch and rushed to the end of the couch, gazing down at the gap between the couch and the wall with concern: Maria was a tangle of shirt and hair and legs.

She continued to struggle with herself and Thor kept his distance, watching her carefully until she righted herself and flipped her hair back from her face. Her eyes found him in an instant, holding with a steadiness that didn't match her swaying body. Her hands gripped the couch's back to hold herself upright.

"Are you alright?" Thor asked, stepping forward.

Maria scrambled back, her eyes as wild as her hair. "What happened?" she half screamed. "What the -" she gasped breathlessly. "- on the - we -" she ripped her hands through her hair in frustration.

Thor stood by silently, letting Maria rave freely. His frown was etched firmly on his face. He had no idea what it was that had Maria so distressed, but she wasn't angry and she wasn't scared, so he was satisfied it was nothing he needed to be too concerned with. Perhaps, he thought considerately, she was remembering last night._ Maybe she's embarrassed_, he thought; after all, he had coaxed out of her worst fear.

But the more he watched her, the more uncertain he became and his furrowed brow deepened. His mind jerked back to when he'd first met Maria, when he'd first started having to decipher her actions and personality, and he cursed women for being so complicated.

"Jesus." Maria finally sighed, stilling her hands at her sides at last. Her eyes lifted to the god. "What happened last night?"

Thor cocked his head to the side, confused. She didn't remember? How could she not remember something as traumatic as what happened lat night? "You... don't remember?" he phrased carefully, making sure he was understanding her right. She bobbed her head affirmatively. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Your brother-"

"No, not that!" she shrieked, Thor glimpsing her hysteria again. "After that! After he'd gone, after you'd sorted the cut-" her hand waved up to her head.

She doubled over and lost her hands in her hair. Her mind was scattered. Finally she snapped upright again, eyes drilling over Thor._ Trousers_, she thought, eyes rolling back in her head in relief, _he's wearing trousers. Thank God!_ That was a good sign. Her eyes travelled northwards and met the hem of his black short sleeved shirt. Her knees almost buckled.

Her hands wound round to cover her eyes. "Oh my God." she breathed. _Nothing can have happened if he was fully clothed_, she reasoned reassuringly.

_Still_, a voice persisted in her head, _you were asleep together on the couch with you in a shabby man shirt - that was ridden up way high with _his_ arm filling the gap! That's not normal!_

Maria took a deep breath. "Right." she tried to keep her voice steady. "Three questions. One: why were _you_ sleeping on the couch? Two: why was I there with you?" her voice squeaked slightly at the last note, and she cleared her throat awkwardly. "Three: what day is it?"

Thor's frown eased slightly, relieved that Maria seemed to have found her senses again. "I can only answer two of those." he said slowly and calmly, as if worried he might set her off again. "Back in my world we do not name our days like you do here, so I do not know what today would be called."

Maria ran her hand over her mouth nervously. "And the other two questions?"

"You were distressed." Thor explained carefully, easing closer. Thankfully, Maria didn't back away this time. "You were injured and distressed. I promised I wouldn't leave you." He gulped, his throat suddenly ridiculously dry. His heart thronged boldly in his chest. "I kept my promise."

Thor watched nervously, as the fire in Maria's eyes lessened to a smoulder, but burned into his just as powerfully. Just a different sort of power. A gentler, more intimate power. One that made the breath catch in Thor's throat as he watched her; her meaningful blinking brown eyes amongst her wild shock of her, her slender body dressed in the huge shirt that hung off her shoulders and fell to her thighs, her shapely legs gracefully crossed ... words could not describe how adorable she was to him at that moment. His mouth opened uselessly. He'd heard of angels before in this world. Maria was more wonderful than them all, he decided.

She wrenched him from his thoughts as she advanced a step. "You... you stayed with me? Just for that? Because you made a promise?"

"I stayed." he nodded nervously, his chest feeling tight, as if his usual breaths of air were no longer enough. "You were distraught... I couldn't leave you like that. I couldn't leave you alone."

His eyes locked with hers as she drew to a halt in front of him, trying to read her gaze. It was useless.

Maria's lips parted and she drew in a shuddering breath.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"You are to stay there, until I instruct you otherwise. Deal?"

Maria's eyes glared for a moment. "No way in hell."

She moved to rise from her cross legged sitting position on the couch, before she caught Thor's gently warning eye and froze. Maria pursed her lips.

"I'm not going to just sit here," she half growled. "And you can't make me."

Thor's stern face broke in an instant, his lips spreading in an arrogant smile. He folded his strong arms across his chest, and raised his eyebrows challengingly. "Really? You think I, Thor, prince of Asgard, God of Thunder, with Mjolnir's power at my command, could not restrain a single mortal woman?" He let out a bark of laughter, his eyes shining gleefully.

Maria stuck her tongue out at him.

Thor laughed harder.

"You will do as I say." he finally managed, steadying his chuckles and stepping forward, ruffling his hand in Maria's hair as if she were a little kid. She swatted at him, but couldn't bat him away before his hand had latched onto the side of her face tenderly, his thumb hooking under her chin to lift her face upwards. "You are injured and need rest. I will take care of duties for you until I deem you fit. Do you understand?"

"I understand that a stupid little cut on my eye doesn't count as an injury. I need to get to the hospital." Maria unfurled her legs and stood up from the sofa.

Thor's hands travelled to her shoulders and pushed her straight back down again.

"You are not working today." he commanded. "Today, I will take care of you."

Thor was rather enjoying this. He could see by the look on her face that she hated this, the idea of being rendered useless and helpless, no matter how long it was for. From he'd seen of her, she liked to do things, to move, to keep busy. For him to tell her she was to do nothing, and he would be doing it all for her she must have been livid. And every inch of it showed on her scowling expression. _True_, he conceded in his head, a cut didn't merit the title of injury, but he was thinking more of the wounds he couldn't see.

Maria was defiant now, and that was a good sign in Thor's mind. At least everything that happened, traumatic as it was, hadn't broken her will. Her spirit was intact; the rest of her would heal in time.

Satisfied she would stay put - if only for a little while - Thor moved to the kitchen to fix her some food. He tried to remember where things were, having stood with Maria so many times before while she cooked, and soon had a decent collection on the counter to get to work on.

He'd just lifted the bread knife, when Maria's voice from the living room distracted him.

"I'm not coming in today," Thor heard her say, frowning: who was she talking to?

He set the knife down and went back to the living room to investigate. Happily, Maria was still sat on the couch, though Thor could see her fingers tapping the arm rest irritably, her other hand held up to her ear.

Her fingers stopped tapping, splaying out in front of her haltingly. "No, he didn't do anything!" she said in a quick voice. From behind, Thor watched her head tilt to the side. "...well, he did, but it's nothing serious. Just a little cut, that's all. I swear. Thor patched it up fine."

Thor had just folded his arms across his chest, ready to announce his presence and confront Maria with why she seemed to be having a one-sided conversation with herself, when the penny dropped. He'd seen something like this the last time he came to Earth. Mortals had a device which allowed them to talk to people as clearly as if they were right there with them, when in reality they were far apart.

"Jane..."

_That was it_, Thor thought, quite proud he'd been able to remember._ Maria's talking to Jane on the_ - his mind stretched to remember the word - _phone._

"He did. He kicked him out!"

Thor knew he shouldn't be listening in, but while she didn't know he was doing it he couldn't see harm. And he wanted to hear what she had to say. By what he could understand, she was telling Jane what had happened. _I 'kicked him out',_ Thor thought in his head, _they're talking about me._

He leaned his shoulder against the wall. There was no way he was bowing out now!

Maria sharply jerked the phone away from her ear and Thor glimpsed the small black device for the first time. Even from his distance he could hear the noise from the receiver. _Yep_, Thor thought affirmatively, _definitely Jane._

Gingerly, Maria moved the phone closer again. "If you don't be quiet, I'm gonna hang up." she warned sternly. The receiver silenced in an instant. "I don't know..." she replied to something Thor hadn't been able to hear. "I don't think he'd dare to be honest. Thor would probably kill him if he came back."

_Almost definitely_, Thor's thoughts confirmed. His arms crossed over his chest tightly.

"No, I'm fine. Really. I'll see you later."

Maria pulled the phone down from her head and Thor heard her sigh as clear as day. He straightened up from the wall, and walked forward quietly.

Maria didn't know he was there until his fingers touched her shoulder. She jumped, startled. "Gordon Bennett!" Her eyes fluttered shut with relief when they found it was only him, and her hand pressed over her heart. "Don't scare me like that." she breathed, blinking her eyes open again. "How can someone like you move so quietly?"

Thor chuckled, his hand moving round to her shoulder blades. He leaned down and smiled. "You remember those 'godly powers' you were speaking of yesterday?"

"Yes."

"That's one of them." Thor's smile settled firmly on his face when Maria's lips stretched into a grin, her eyes crinkling in the corners.

"But seriously, what are we going to do today?" she asked, eyes still sparkling like gems. "I honestly can't just sit here all day."

Thor straightened up, his mind working. "Nothing strenuous." he lay down the ground rule firmly. He certainly wasn't planning on letting her do much; any cooking or cleaning around the house would be his work for the day, and shopping would require bringing Maria with him, so that would have to wait for another time. As far as he could see Maria would be stuck in the house.

_Or not_, he thought as an idea hit him, his eyes lighting up excitedly.

He knew what they were doing today.

XXX

This land really was a beautiful place, Thor decided as they made their way up the hillside. Staring around them, Thor could see for miles: the village behind them, the town a great deal further, and surrounding those were the luscious green fields occasionally broken by lines of bordering trees. They walked up one such hillside now, a tall oak standing promisingly at the top.

"Can I walk now?" Maria whined in his ear. "Is this really necessary?"

In one hand, Thor held a basket, filled delightfully with bread and cheese and other such picnic foods that he couldn't wait to delve into. In his other arm however, was something a little less co-operative.

"Let me down!" Maria squirmed frantically, and Thor had to tighten his hold around her waist, hips and thighs to keep her from tumbling to the ground. Her arm unwound from around his neck, for her hand to push hard at his chest. Thor was too strong though - even with only one arm pinning her in place - and she eventually conceded defeat. Her arms crossed impatiently. "I can still walk, you know. He didn't cripple me."

"I know." Thor smiled, enjoying her frustration. "But you do not need to while I am here."

Thor's smile curved into a wicked smirk as Maria groaned, tossing her head back, and pounding her fist into Thor's chest as she brought it up again. The god didn't even blink at the blow. Maria's forehead thudded down where she'd hit.

He'd asked Maria to put on the dress he'd picked out for her, and she had, the skirt flowing over her lap beautifully. Her legs crossed delicately at the ankles, finished with a pair of dark low heels. Since Thor would be the one taking her to wherever she wanted to go, he'd decided dressing her up would do no harm. He'd been surprised at how easily Maria simply abided by what he'd asked of her when it came to her clothes, not arguing for an instant. _Perhaps it was secretly what she wanted,_ Thor thought to himself, _to feel special for once._

Even her hair had had a lot of effort put into it. Thor was impressed at Maria's skill: the dark strands were folded back loosely into a casual bundle at the back of the back of her neck, interlaced with delicate little braids that only Maria's tiny fingers could create. It was a style not dissimilar to one he'd find on a woman back in Asgard.

He himself had picked out the nicest shirt Maria had bought him and wore it open over a white t-shirt, matched with the darker of the pairs of jeans Maria had bought for him.

Finally, he pulled them up to the oak tree and set the basket down on the grass. He held on to Maria a little longer. He could feel her itching to move, to squirm, but his spare hand caught the side of her face and turned her to look at him, his arm gently holding her still. "Promise you won't run?"

He watched with amusement as Maria irritation was instantly overwhelmed by a grin, as if she'd ever been annoyed at all. "You'd catch me even if I did!"

"That is true." Thor smiled, angling Maria's body until her heels touched ground. His hand hovered at her back as she got used supporting herself again after so long in Thor's arms. When he was sure she would stay upright of her own accord, Thor explored closer to the oak tree, his hand trailing from her back to the length of her arm before he broke away.

Maria turned her back to him and stretched, basking as the suns warmth gloriously hugged her skin. A wide smile on her face, she dropped down to her knees beside the basket, and fanned her skirt out around her lap.

Thor watched her stare out at the village from the oak tree, his forearm leaning on the trunk, smiling softly.

He knew there was no reason to fuss over Maria so much. She could have gone into work. She could have climbed her own way up the hills. It was Thor, rather than any physical ailment of Maria's, that had prevented her from doing so.

_He_ wanted to take care of her. _He_ wanted to be the one that made her smile. He didn't want to lose a second of time with her to the women at the hospital. He didn't want to lose a touch of that energy in her smile to the exertion of walking up the hill. He watched her possessively from the tree, impressed.

Normally Thor was only impressed by battle victories and fighting skills, the sort of things he enjoyed and appreciated by surrounding himself in it. The company of men and his friends back in Asgard, offered little else to marvel at.

_Even Sif_, he thought to himself, just as much a warrior as any of the men were. She didn't expose the same womanly qualities that Maria did.

Maria was Sif's opposite, Thor observed in his head. While Sif was as hard as iron on the outside, Maria's strength lurked deeper within her, her small, delicate body portraying a false sense of weakness that could not be applied to her spirit. While her tiny frame and skin bruised, she held on to a quiet dignity inside her, a strength that was so bold, yet so subtle and humble, Thor couldn't help but admire it. The more time he spent with her, the more he could see it unfolding.

It was after he learned of Jason that he truly realised it though. As he'd lain on the couch that night, Maria curled up sweetly on his chest, it'd come to him. That despite all the abuse her body had suffered, her heart had grown stronger. Her will had survived through the horrific ordeal, stubbornly refusing to let herself be swamped with misery or to even admit to others what was happening to her. She'd pulled through it for years, she'd said.

So, that night he'd decided. That night, feeling Maria's heart beating against his won, he'd realised what it was his body was trying to tell him.

It wasn't that he was simply angered by her mistreatment.

It wasn't that he simply didn't want to ever have to leave.

It was something even more basic than that, something even more primal: _he wanted her to be his. Forever._

XXX

The day dragged on better than Thor expected.

After the whole 'getting to the hill' bit, Thor's plan had run dry, and as he took a place of the grass on the other side of the basket, he started to worry. _What if she got bored?_, he fretted. If she got bored, Thor had no alternative plan, and Maria would be unhappy again. His heart dropped like a stone at the mere thought.

But one look at Maria, at the glowing smile that blossomed endlessly on her face, at the bright spark in her eye, set Thor's mind at rest. It had the opposite effect on his heart though.

The food was nothing special. Just simple stuff: bread, cheese, some cold meats, some fruits and berries... but it didn't seem to matter. They ate, talked about nothing, laughed, basked in the sunshine. Thor was surprised such a simple thing could go such a long way, but he didn't dare complain: it kept Maria still and happy, laughing as she popped grape after grape in her mouth. Not once did she frown or look sad. The closest she ever got was when she threw her head back and let the sunshine was over her face, a blissful look of content in her smile. It reminded Thor of when she slept.

"I haven't been up here in ages." Maria chuckled, after the basket had been abandoned at the base of the tree. They lay stretched out on the grass, Thor's fingers laced behind his head, while Maria lay on her side, head propped up by her fist. "Do you have places like this where you're from?"

Thor moved his hands from his head and propped himself up on his elbows. "We have trees and fields and hills..." he thought carefully. "But not places like this." When he thought of Asgard, no matter how far into the fields and trees one strayed, the gleaming, bold city was never far from sight. There was never the full tranquillity that Thor felt here, with just the sun over his head and the modest little village down the valley. "Although," he remembered with a grin. "I spent more time in the battle arena than the landscape."

Maria's lips curved into a grin to match his own, and she tossed a stray strand of hair from her face. "I can imagine that." she chuckled. "How many fights have you been in?"

"Too many to remember." He smirked proudly.

"And did you always win?"

Thor felt the pride swell in his chest, the urge to boast almost overwhelming. Then again, why not? Fighting was something he was good at. And if it impressed Maria...

"There was never an enemy that could defeat me." he boomed smugly, pleased with the smile he earned from Maria.

"And you always fought with that hammer?"

"Mostly. Not always."

"Did you ever fight a girl?"

Thor threw his head back and laughed. "Of course not! That would never be fair." He pulled his forward again, still grinning at Maria's ludicrous question. Then he caught her raised eyebrow and the dangerous glint in her eye, and the smirk buckled. _Oops_, he thought as Maria jumped up to her feet, kicking her heels off as she went. Thor scrambled to follow her.

She trotted to the tree, and walked around its base until she swung round on the other side to face Thor again, her hand clinging loosely to the bark. She laughed at the tentative look on Thor's face, the way his hands were flexed, ready for if she would fall. He didn't seem to care that she noticed, eyes darting to her hand on the tree and her feet crossed in the roots, waiting for one of them to betray her.

She didn't give them time to: Maria skipped from the tree nimbly and stepped up to Thor. "Teach me to fight."

The alarm that flashed over his face was priceless! His eyes frowned down at her questioningly, as if hoping she was joking with him, concern swamping his gaze when he realised she wasn't. "Maria..."

"Come on." Maria urged, picking up his hands from his sides and holding them up, palms to her. They stayed in place when she stepped back. "How am I ever going to help defend myself if no one will teach me?" she argued firmly, her hands challengingly on her hips. "You seem to be quite the warrior, so why not you?"

"I don't want to hurt you." Thor gulped, though he still didn't pull his hands down. "It is not for women to fight."

"Not even if it's self defence?" Maria scooped any stray strands of hair from her face.

Thor tensed. "Maria..."

"What if someone fights me and I can't stop them?" she rolled her shoulders, a hard look gathering in her eye.

"Maria -"

"What if Jason comes back and you're not there? What then-"

Thor didn't let her finish. He stepped forward and pulled her in, spinning her round so her back pressed into his body, his large hand clamped firmly over her mouth. He could feel her breaths sharpen, but he didn't release her. His arm across her stomach pinned her in place, holding her in an inescapable grip, but not one that would hurt her. Her hands had automatically hooked themselves around Thor's fingers over her mouth, tugging down hard, but not moving them in the slightest. She wasn't going anywhere until he said so.

Her words echoed in his head tauntingly, his blood igniting dangerously in his veins. Why did she have to say such things? Was she testing him? Whatever the reason, Thor's teeth gritted and his muscles hardened at the thought of anyone hurting Maria, let alone her low-life of a brother.

Leaning down, he gently angled her head so his lips were by her ear. "Step back on my foot. Elbow to the stomach. Then break free and kick."

Maria froze in his hold, but Thor could still feel her heart racing. He was tempted to release his hand over her mouth to make sure she understood, but decided against it. "Step. Elbow. Break. Kick."

Thor half held his breath. Maria would try it, he knew she would. It was just a question of if she was any good. Thor had no intention of letting her go unless she could earn her freedom. Her felt her muscles tighten beneath his hold and braced himself for the small woman's attack.

She stepped back on his foot so weakly Thor didn't slacken his grip in the slightest, holding Maria too securely to continue. He chuckled into her hair. "Is that it?" he grinned as Maria continued to struggle fruitlessly. Even he'd expected more of a fight than that! "No one's going to let you go if that's all you can do to them."

He waited for Maria to go limp in his arms again, before he thought about cutting her some slack and taking his hand from her mouth.

She didn't give him a chance though.

Her teeth bit unexpectedly into his fingers, simultaneously hammering her heel down on his foot and driving her elbow into the god's abdomen, his arms slackening instantly and his knees buckling with the surprise of the sudden attack. Maria even earned a grunt as she jabbed back her elbow a second time. She ripped his arms from around her before he could recover, and turned back when she was just far enough to square a hard kick to his middle.

Thor let out a groan as he thudded back on the ground, his eyes still wide with shock as the blue sky swamped his vision. Another thud, as Maria went down too, brought him back to his senses.

He grinned, hand running over where she'd elbowed and kicked him. _She'd most definitely earned that!_

He tore himself upright and his eyes instantly found Maria, sprawled out on her side, her hands out from breaking her fall, her small body heaving with gasping breaths. Thor's grin widened: seemed like they'd both been unprepared for that kick! She rolled onto her back as the god stood over her, blocking out the sun. She could just about make out his grin between the blinding rays.

"Don't make me do that again." she gasped, with a tired smile.

Thor laughed as his hand reached down for her, and Maria's fingers met with his halfway, surrendering to Thor's strength to lift her up after that. She didn't even have the will to stop herself after Thor tugged too hard and she was pulled flat against his chest.

She thudded her forehead against him lightly. "I'll leave the fighting to you."

Thor's hand found her back so she didn't fall. He laughed, and pressed his mouth to the top of her head fondly. "We'll make a little warrior out of you yet."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The sun was almost gone in the sky by the time Thor and Maria dragged themselves down from the hill, wondering carelessly back to the quaint little house. Thor almost didn't want to go back, but he didn't mind; he'd enjoy Maria's company just as much inside as out. Especially if he could teach her more fighting moves...

Maria had barely unlatched the door though when her name was hollered unmistakably from the road.

Jane crashed into her a second later.

Thor leapt back from the women tangled at the doorstep, even more glad he had done so as more women, all wearing short, brightly coloured corseted dresses, practically rammed Maria and Jane through the doorway, giggling hysterically.

He followed them inside, closing the door behind him as Maria finally tore herself free from the crowd and jumped defensively onto the couch. Her eyes scoured over the crowd of dressed up women cautiously, before finally settling on Jane at the head of the pack.

Jane, wearing a powder blue and white corset and frilly skirt, with white gloves up to her elbows, dark stockings on her legs ending in a pair of killer heels, put her hands on her hips. She grinned smugly. "You can't escape." she said, grabbing at Maria's arm and pulling her down to their level again. "You're a bridesmaid now, so you have to come to my hen night. You haven't got a choice in this. _No arguing_."

Thor stood back from the women as far as possible as they gently tried to manoeuvre Maria to the stair case. Her eyes were wide, her face draining of all colour.

"I- I haven't got anything to wear!" she protested shakily, as Jane's friends managed to angle her to the stairs.

"No worries." Jane called over the giggling, tugging Maria's arm up the stairs. "You're the one with the hot, hulky man so you get to be Belle in our little Disney Princess theme. Costume's sorted."

Thor had no idea what they were talking about, nor did he think Jane and her friends would harm Maria. Still, when Maria panicked, fearful eyes found his, he stepped forward to intervene. He was a second too late. The moment he moved, Maria was torn away, whisked up the staircase by the small huddle of women until her bedroom door slammed shut behind them.

Thor hesitated, still buzzing with confusion. _What the hell had just happened? _His frown was deep as he trotted up the stairs to demand Maria's return and answers, when Jane slipped out of Maria's room and stopped him at the top of the stairs, grinning mischeviously. Her hands planted firmly on her hips, and he knew she wasn't going to let him through without a fight. He tried to glance into the room behind her, but the door was solidly shut.

"Go back down." she ordered, surprising Thor speechless. "You'll see her in a minute. We won't hurt her, I promise."

Thor glared at the woman, momentarily loathing her. He could break into Maria's bedroom if he wanted to, but he was fairly certain it'd result in someone getting hurt, and he was sure Maria would not thank him for injuring her friends.

Reluctantly, eyes still narrowed, Thor turned to go back downstairs. Jane cackled behind him as he did.

"Trust me," she called after him. "It'll be worth it."

XXX

Thor couldn't say Jane had lied, as he sat in the very cramped taxi with the giggling women - it_ had_ been worth it. He'd had no idea what had been going on in the bedroom until the girls finally spilled back downstairs, Maria in tow.

He'd instantly risen to rescue her, but the moment his eyes clapped on her, he froze on the spot, mouth dropping. Maria was stood shyly in a bright yellow corset and frilly skirt that barely touched down her thighs, with the same dark stockings and heels the other girl wore. The bright colour of the dress complimented her hair, making it look even darker and luscious as her dark curls spilled over her shoulder, a delicate flower shaped hair piece holding one side back behind her ear. Her cheeks blushed scarlet as she tried - and failed - to cover herself.

"You're coming too." Jane had demanded, stepping forward and grabbing Thor's hand, pulling him out the door with Maria before he could say anything.

He didn't know what he'd say anyway; his mind was still a blur, swamped with visions of Maria in the tight, revealing garment, as the girls bundled him into the taxi car. Maria sat on the other side, eyes gazing out the window, knees locked together and her hand trying miserably to pull the skirt further down her legs. Jane sat directly opposite him, explaining the theme of the occasion.

"Jenny's Tinkerbell," she went on, jabbing a thumb at the girl sat beside her and Maria. Jenny wore the same corset and skirt as the other girls did, hers a bright green colour with a pair of dainty fairy wings producing from her back. "Abby's Snow White." She indicated the woman sat beside Thor, her outfit a combination of blue, white, red and yellow. "Livie's Minnie Mouse." The girl next to Abby winked, her outfit bright red, broken with white polka dots, and a pair of round, exaggerated black ears sat in her blonde curls, a bow nestled neatly in the middle. "And I'm Cinderalla." Jane wiggled proudly.

Thor diverted his gaze quickly, and automatically fell to Maria. "And Maria?"

Jane followed his gaze briefly, and across the car, Maria flushed pink, covering her face with her hand. "Maria's Belle." Jane said casually, ignoring her friends' discomfort. "I couldn't help going for a Disney theme. It was unmissable!"

Thor had no idea what a 'hen-do' was, but he was now somehow involved, and as he glanced out the window, he saw that the car had driven them into the town centre. He submitted to the women's will as they pulled him out the vehicle and straight into the building it had parked outside, catching a glimpse of flashing neon lights running up along the wall just seconds before he was forced inside. The place was manic: all Thor was aware of as the girls led him through the building was the deafening beat of the music and the people - so many people! - filling every available space. Some danced, some were at the bar, some were gathered around tables drinking - they were just everywhere. Thor couldn't see a space that was bare!

Except for the booth at the back, which Jane's friends steered him towards.

He fell back into the seat as Jane pushed him down, a teasing look in her eye. "Thor, what do you drink?" she shouted across the table over the music.

Thor frowned.

"You know - alcohol-wise?" Jane clarified impatiently. "What do you drink?"

"Er-" Thor shot a look to Maria, and saw his worry mirrored back at him. "Mead?" He was starting to get uncomfortable, especially as Livie and Abby's eyes trained on him, glowing with interest. Maria shrank in the corner.

"Budge over, Liv!" Jane shouted playfully when she got back from the bar, pulling her friend playfully from the gods side. "Give Belle some space with her _man_." The pair were giggling hysterically as together they shoved Maria along the booth until she thudded into Thor, instantly occupying the end seats to trap her there.

Thor's hand instantly rose to steady her as she fell against his chest, but found himself blushing when his palm cupped her bare, exposed shoulder, her delicate hand putting light pressure on his body as she pushed herself upright. Her face was aflame - even in the flashing lights of the club, he could easily make out her red cheeks. He fought the urge to grin at her embarrassment, finding every time she blushed terribly endearing.

"Right!"

Thor snapped to his senses as Jane bobbed to her feet, a tray of drinks suddenly on the table. The three other girls attacked it, and Jane passed over two sizable shot glasses to him and Maria, filled with a clear liquid that, though it looked like water, Thor didn't trust. Maybe it was the way Maria gingerly took hers beside him that caused his suspicion.

He accepted the drink regardless, and Jane took one up for herself.

"To the hero of the hour!" she declared boldly, raising her glass high in the air. "Thor," she winked playfully at his confused expression. "For giving Jason what he deserved at last!"

"Jane!" Maria scolded sharply, her face tense.

"What?" Jane protested. "I'm tired of you defending him Maria, and now that Thor's given him the boot I'm not going to tolerate it anymore. Especially at _my_ hen night. My rules. So, thanks to Thor for stopping that good for nothing waste of space from killing my best friend."

"Cheers!"

Around him, the four girls downed their drinks, only Maria hesitating as she stiffened beside him. Thor watched her carefully, practically seeing the memories flash through her head along with her. Finally, when she couldn't take it any longer, she threw her head back and gulped down the poison too.

The only one left to drink, Thor touched the glass to his lips and poured the liquid down his throat.

He grimaced as he set the shot glass back on the table. "What _is_ that?" he eyed the glass until it was whisked away by staff, instantly replaced by another full one. He didn't take it, his throat still burning from the taste of the first drink.

Suddenly, he became away of Maria's weight leaning on him, her head bowed against his shoulder. "Vodka." she moaned numbly, her eyes closed. "Tastes awful, but it's good for getting drunk." She took a second from the table and downed it fast, emerging with a grimace not too dissimilar from the one Thor wore seconds ago.

So that was the point of the evening, he realised, glancing around the table at the women as they threw drink after drink down their throats, watching their eyes become more feral and less focussed as they intoxicated themselves. Even Maria held her own, taking drink after drink - although Thor half suspected it was to drown out what Jane had provoked earlier in her mind. Either way, he wasn't complaining as Maria's head slowly lowered itself limply on his shoulder, her hand hanging on his bicep for support. For a while he just sat there, curiously watching the girl unfold beside him as she drowned herself in alcohol.

Determined not to be outdone by Maria, Thor reached forward and grabbed another drink. He could see instantly that Maria was right! He was no where near getting drunk - although some of the girls around him seemed to be not far off it themselves! - but he could definitely feel the drink's effects: his muscles loosened, his mind clearing mercifully, and his confidence and ego shooting skywards. He tried to hang on to that last one, though, not wishing to lose too much control.

He allowed himself the courage to snake his arm around Maria's waist, delighted when her head slipped down to his chest unresistingly.

Time seemed to slip by untraceably, drink after drink, song after song blaring through the club. Finally, the girls seemed to come back to life and Maria lifted her head from Thor's chest drunkenly as Jane staggered shakily to her feet. She aimed an uneven finger in Thor's direction. "You." she slurred. "Shirt - off."

Thor's arm stiffened around Maria, unintentionally drawing her closer. He glanced down at her for help, but one look at her dark eyes fluttering at him through thick eyelashes told Thor he was on his own on this one.

"Come on." Jane pressured. "Off with it."

Thor shifted uncomfortably as the girls closed in around him, and prised Abbys hand gently away from him as it crept onto his chest. "This is not a good idea." he warned darkly, praying they'd stop. Again, he was worried he couldn't stop them without hurting them, and even with Maria intoxicated beside him, she'd still be upset. He gulped nervously, realising that without Maria's support, he was at the women's mercy.

Perhaps Jane realised it at the same time he did, and went to cut off his lifeline. "You want him to, right Maria?" she focussed on her friend, leaning in so the two girls were shoulder to shoulder.

Thor felt his chances sinking fast.

"He'll do anything you say." Jane went on, Abby, Livie and Jenny filling the ring around the god, cutting off any escape. He was trapped.

Fearfully, Thor glanced down to Maria, and watched her mind whirl. Her eyes finally blinked from Jane back to him, carrying such a doe eyed expression in them, Thor felt his heart melt. She bit her lip, glancing down to the shirt covering his white t-shirt.

Thor held his breath as Maria set another spent glass down and moved her delicate little hand to his shoulder, playing with the collar. Thor covered her hand with his and played his last card - begging. "Maria, don't do this." he urged, tightening his grip on her hand. "Think. This is not a good idea."

Her eyes, darkened by the alcohol, and holding the same animalistic hunger as the other girls did, never left his for a moment. Finally, she tugged her hand free of his and pulled away, rising from her seat to stand with the other girls across the booth. They kept well behind her, knowing that Maria was their golden ticket; they weren't about to jeopardise that. Thor watched her, a new fear that he'd offended her quickly rising.

"I bought you that shirt." Maria folded her arms across her chest, surprising Thor with her stability. His heart sank as he realised he'd lost. Maria's eyes glinted wickedly. "I want it back."

Thor's heart plummeted as the words left Maria's lips, knowing he would have to oblige her. Jane had been right: he'd do whatever she asked of him, even if it reduced his pride to tatters. Gritting his jaw tautly, and trying to look as menacing as possible in a last minute attempt to deter the women, he rose from his seat. His eyes didn't leave Maria's for a moment, though hers left his, ghosting over the rest of him as the open shirt he wore slipped over his shoulders.

He went for another drink, giving Maria more time to change her mind. Even if she didn't, he'd need the extra strength to keep him from losing his mind.

Straightening up, his eyes found Maria's again, and was pleased to see indecision there. Her teeth tugged at her lip, and Thor held his breath as she stepped forward from the women.

He was starting to regret that last drink, he decided, as Maria wondered closer, and his eyes wondered with her. His gaze flickered from her adorable face to the rest of her, indulging eagerly over the narrow dip of her waist, emphasised by the tight corset, the pleasingly wide curve of her hip, ringed by frills, the smooth skin of her shapely legs, the stockings simply teasing him by denying him the sight of her skin. She didn't seem to notice or care as his eyes finally levelled with hers and she stopped her advance. Her gaze melted with his eagerly.

Thor held his breath as he realised what he'd brought upon himself. He'd made them impatient, made them wait...

His fears were confirmed as Maria's fingers ghosted across the hem of his white t-shirt, flickering teasingly to the skin beneath. Thor gritted his teeth and tried to keep his breaths level as the touch of the fabric slowly lifted from his lower torso and the warm presence of Maria's skin replaced it. He didn't dare take his gaze away from hers, his fists clenching and unclenching testily as he fought to hold on to his self control.

Maria's palms flattened on his stomach, and her eyes fluttered as she felt the muscles beneath the skin. Thor's confidence soared as he noticed the laboured rise and fall of Maria's chest; he wasn't the only one nervous.

Realising at last that Maria could never take his shirt off by herself - the height distance being only one factor - Thor smirked. _So that had been her plan,_ he thought with an inward boom of arrogant laughter, his gaze locked with Maria's as she fluttered her eye lashes up at him imploringly. _To wear me down until I submit._

Gazing down at the teasing creature in front of him, Thor noted just how relaxed and confident Maria could be, booking it for future reference. He'd certainly draw on it next time, having now seen just how much she'd been holding back from him.

Seeing that there was no way out of it, Thor closed his hands around Maria's wrists and pulled her away. He stepped her back slightly and downed another quick drink to spur him on under the women's hungry eyes. Before his mind could think and stop him, he tugged the shirt over his head and dropped it back on the seat with his other shirt.

He only had eyes for Maria.

While the girls giggled and clung to each other behind her, Maria's eyes trailed over the god's toned, chiselled abdomen and chest, finally rising up and meeting his bright blue gaze. "Are you satisfied?" he asked in a low, alluring voice.

Maria's lips flickered into a smirk.

"Yes!" Jane squealed behind her, hysterical with laughter.

Thor was just beginning to decide that this would not be a bad night after all when his gaze flickered back to Maria, and noted her clouded eyes and swaying stance. Alarm bells rang instantly. "Maria!" the god leapt forward just as Maria's knees folded beneath her and she collapsed deeply into Thor's arms. He pulled her up before she could hit the floor and sat back on the seat, Maria cradled semi-consciously in his lap.

"Oops," Jane giggled over Thor's shoulder, as the rest of the girls huddled round, watching as Maria squirmed against Thor's bare torso, eyes fighting to stay open. "Looks like someone's had to much to drink!"

Thor had just counted Maria out, when her hand reached up weakly and clawed onto Thor's shoulder, hauling herself upright in his lap, her head resting on his chest. The effort left her panting, but she fixed her eyes firmly on Jane, clinging to Thor for dear life. "Don't count on it." Her teeth flashed in a drunken grin.

_Yes,_ Thor decided, grinning widely as her glittering eyes met his, _definitely a little warrior_.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Let's play 'Never Have I Ever'" Jenny suddenly flounced, the girls dispersing their huddle from around the pair and grabbing a drink from the table in approval.

Maria leaned over and grabbed one too. She caught Thor's confused eye and handed him her drink, reaching for another for herself. "It's a game." she explained directly into his ear. "Someone says 'never have I ever...' something and whoever _has_ done that something has to have a drink. Got it?"

Thor barely had time to nod before Jane kicked off the game across the booth. "Me first!" she declared, excitedly. "Never have I ever..." her eyes fixed on Maria wickedly, "Managed to tease a hottie like Thor out of his shirt."

The girls burst into squeals of laughter, and Maria chuckled against Thor's defined chest at the directed attack. Even Thor smirked, the silent rumble of his laughter reverberating through the small woman held to him.

Maria threw the drink down her throat fearlessly.

The game went on, Jenny taking over. The challenges posed were interesting; been arrested, lied about their sexual orientation to avoid a date, played strip poker, had a brush with death (Thor drank to that one, much to everyone's intrigue). All the while Thor watched, Maria, waiting to learn more about her. Her drink stayed firmly in her hand though, until it was finally her turn to lead.

Thor straightened up, interested.

He wasn't the only one: "Make it a good one Maria!" Jane called cackling.

"Yeah, something really embarrassing!" Abby egged on.

"Embarrassing..." Maria rolled her eyes thoughtfully. "Never have I ever..." her teeth clamped down on her lip shyly (surprising for how bold she'd been earlier, Thor thought) and her cheeks flushed slightly, her eyes casting downwards. Finally, she gulped and finished her confession. "Had a boyfriend before."

The reaction was astonishing. Instead of drinking their drinks, the girls leaned in, their mouths agape, letting out a solid "WHAT?" at the admission.

Then the questions flowed thick and fast.

"What, _never?"_

_"_Not once?"

"Have you been on a date before?"

"Have you _kissed_ a guy before?"

Thor was suddenly unsure if he wanted to hear the answers, especially with Maria so protectively in his arms. No, he affirmed with an inward growl, he did not want to hear about her liaisons with other men. But there was no escape from it.

Maria ducked her head embarrassedly. "Not properly." she finally admitted. "Jason was never very liberal about me bringing boys home."

"Hold on." Jane leaned in eagerly. "Let me get this straight. You're twenty years old and you've _never_ kissed a guy before?"

Maria's cheeks burned, and she seemed to sober up before Thor's eyes, returning to her usual mannerisms: her legs crossed consciously, her eyes dipping and her hands folding defensively over her middle. "Can you just drink your vodka already!" she half snapped. "Get over it."

Jane, however, wasn't letting this one drop.

"Oh no, honey. Even Thor could drink to that one!"

Thor gulped as Jane drew the attention his away, and averted his eyes from Maria when he couldn't deny her.

"I vote we switch to truth or dare!" Jane suddenly declared, a bright spark in her eye that made Thor uneasy. He could feel Maria stiffen too.

"Isn't that the same as 'Never Have I Ever'!" Maria snapped irritably, downing a drink from the table and burying her face in Thor's shoulder.

"Not if you get a dare." the bride to be winked.

"Jane..."

"I agree with Maria actually." Jenny chipped in, much to every one's surprise. "We need to get her drunk again before we start another game."

A murmur of agreement swept the table, and Maria groaned in Thor's lap. Battling his conscience, he agreed with the other women: he wanted the bold Maria back, the daring, reckless Maria that teased shamelessly in the short shirt and tricked him from his clothes. The Maria that grinned wickedly and drank impressively for a woman of her small stature. He wanted to see that Maria again, enjoying herself.

Arm around her shoulders, Thor reached forward, took a shot glass from the table and eased it in Maria's hand. She took it, an unwilling look on her face.

She drank obediently.

"I hate you." she breathed hotly against Thor's collar bone, as she clung to him once more, the alcohol once again taking over her system.

Thor grinned, leaning forward and pressing his lips firmly to her forehead. He still felt bad about purposely getting her drunk, but he couldn't stop himself. He was itching to see her brimming with confidence again, to see that seductive darkness once again take over her gaze. "You can beat me up some more when we get home." he promised, with a chuckle against her skin. His hand reached up and brushed the side of her face clear of her overhanging curls. He tipped another drink down her throat himself.

"I forgot about that." Maria grinned, tipping the side of her head to rest against his chest. "I was good, wasn't I? You didn't just pretend?"

"I honestly did not see it coming."

He ran the scene over and over again in his mind, as the girls took over his job of drunkening up Maria, pouring more drinks down her throat as she perched on Thor's lap. He grinned at the memory, at how both of them had been surprised by Maria's strength when she'd kicked him...

Finally, she flopped forward with a groan, steadying herself on her friends shoulder, her head bowed. "I can't take any more." she protested weakly. "Target him," she thudded her head into Thor's chest. "He's hardly had anything."

Thor's hand cupped the other side of Maria's head, gently holding her in place. He grinned into her hair when the rest of her body curled towards him to accommodate the position, her hand tugging at the place where his neck met his shoulder. "It would take a lot of drink to get me intoxicated." he warned more to Maria than anyone else, as the rest of the girls upped and ogled after a passing group of boys, leaving him and Maria temporarily alone in the booth.

She pulled herself up, turning into him. Thor tried to regulate his heart beat when he felt Maria's hot lips against the hollow of his neck. "Another one of your godly powers?" she breathed into his skin.

"Something like that." He sighed to the ceiling, tipping his head back. Maybe he'd let himself in over his head when he'd plotted to get her drunk again. "What is a hen-night?" he finally asked, trying to defuse the situation before he lost control of it once and for all.

Maria moved her mouth to his shoulder, and he could feel her grin against his skin. "It's a night where the bride to be celebrates with her girl friends before she gets married." She grew slightly heavier on his shoulder, and let out a faint groan. "I thought you were supposed to be taking care of me today?" she moaned, Thor feeling her eyelashes flutter against him as her body went limp. His hand hovered around her waist protectively.

Thor chuckled as Maria started to slip away. "I don't think this night has done you any harm." he breathed into her hair as she relaxed against him. "You seem to have enjoyed yourself."

A light, slurring giggle tickled his chest.

Just as the other girls jumped back unrulily into the booth, Maria fell back from Thor's body, his hands around her waist the only thing from keeping her dropping to the floor. Her arm slung around his neck, but she had no strength to hold herself upright.

"She looks out of it!" Jane squealed delightfully, knocking back another glass. "Nice job Thor!"

Thor couldn't help but grin. He wasn't sure if it was the pride that he'd gotten Maria drunk (and was getting praised for it!) or that he had the girl lying helplessly in his arms, completely dependent on him, that fuelled his arrogance. Frankly, he didn't care. He was even in such a good mood he reached across to the table for more drinks, his arm holding Maria's body safely to his. Maria groaned again as he leant back, her fingers clawing into his chest, rolling her cheek to his muscled torso. "Don't do that again." she pleaded, eyes screwed shut against the nausea.

"Right, Maria, truth or dare time." Jenny giggled mischievously, echoed by the rest of the gang of drunken women.

Maria moaned in protest, but couldn't say anything.

Thor's arm tightened at her back, her head lolling. Her eyes were flickered open, in the same hooded, dreamy expression they'd held earlier when she teased him out of his shirt. Coupled with her full, pink lips, she looked utterly irresistible. Much to Thor's delight she rolled her head back to him, against her friends.

They weren't giving up though, if the thought had even crossed their minds! "Maria goes first." Jane decided, and Maria found the strength and energy enough to pull herself up slightly against Thor and summon a glaring spark to her eye, that she fired squarely at the bride to be. Thor waited excitedly; the last game had been most amusing. And if the wicked glint in Jane's gaze was anything to go by, this one promised to be even better!

"No, Thor should go first!" Abby chipped in, her eyes blinking innocently as she took over. "Truth," she decided for him. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Thor blinked at her.

"You know, have you got a girl?"

Thor frowned slightly, but instinct told him to say no. Maria shifted temptingly in his arms. He was glad he answered as he had, for a beaming smile erupted on all the women's faces simultaneously, and Jane once again took centre stage.

"Right Maria." she grinned, like she could hardly contain herself. "Dare."

Thor's heart hammered in anticipation as he glanced down at the woman in his lap. A glare was fixed boldly in her seductively low hooded brown eyes, and he could feel her body stiffen. He grinned eagerly; if the challenge was something that got Maria so frustrated, it was sure to be something he'd enjoy immensely.

He glanced up to Jane to reveal it, but was surprised to find her eyes already on him. His heart stopped, suddenly dreading. Jane giggled naughtily.

"Jane..." Maria's voice warned darkly.

Jane ignored her, eyes still on Thor. "You can grin, mister." she said to him before she turned back on Maria. "I dare you to kiss him."

The world seemed to stop - for both of them! Thor could practically hear the plummeting of his and Maria's hearts as the challenge was laid on the table, a satisfied glint in Jane's eye. The music of the club seemed to drown out in Thor's ears, replaced with Jane's taunting words looping over and over again in his head. She wanted Maria to - he gulped, his heart thudding to life in his chest - kiss him? His gaze fluttered down and he met the same nervous uncertainty in Maria's eyes as he was sure were in his own. They flickered back to Jane in an instant.

"What?" she merely grinned under the two penetrating stares. "She said so earlier that she's never properly kissed a boy before, and what better first kiss than someone like Thor!" The girls didn't need to nod their approval; it was in their eyes, shimmering at the pair pressuringly.

Thor gulped a second time as he felt the heat of Maria's blush fire through her cheeks against his shoulder. His eyes found Jane again, and he tried to fill them with as much authority as he could muster, despite the distraction in his arms. "This is a cruel trick."

"No trick." Jane corrected. "Trust me, we're doing you guys a favour. Unless of course," Jane cocked her head to the side, "You don't want to kiss her?"

_That woman_, Thor growled in his head, as he felt Maria's flush deepen. She'd trapped him. _Gods help the man she was marrying if this was what she was prepared to do to near strangers! _His arms tightened protectively at Maria's waist, feeling her embarrassment radiate off her with a burn. Jane had cornered him well - of course he wanted to kiss Maria! But he couldn't just say that... could he? He knew that this world was more liberal with such relations but surely...

His throat ran dry as his predicament settled on him.

Whether he'd have to admit it or not, he was stuck. He had to kiss her. He had no choice - less he wanted to upset Maria by refusing her.

He was truly ensnared.

His eyes flickered down to Maria's and could practically see her sobering up right there before him. If he was going to do this, it'd be better if he did so before she fully came to her senses. Her eyes glittered up at him shyly.

He could feel her heart beat hammer through her as his arm flattened at her back, gently drawing her in. His hand tangled in the back of her hair, holding her in place, though she offered no resistance other than a delicate hand where his chest moulded into his shoulder. He could feel she was nervous, in nothing less than the hot breath that ghosted over his cheek as he angled her body back slightly, leaning forward.

The girls seemed to hold their breath, and Thor could feel their eyes riveted on him and Maria. He tried not to let it distract him, and focussed back on the girl pressed firmly against his bare chest.

His bright blue gaze tipped over her bright eyes, her blushing pink cheeks, trailing lower and lower until they found her plump, luscious lips. He pulled in a breath, feeling his barrelling chest swell against Maria's slight body.

It suddenly dawned on him - he was a god. The God of Thunder didn't have to do this if he didn't want to. He could crash down thunder and lightning at his will (things he knew were already lashing in the sky outside in nothing short of a physical embodiment of the emotions coursing through him) and he was being _manipulated_ by four mortal women? It was something he'd normally laugh at! Yet here he was, the most beautiful woman in the world in his arms, her lips only millimetres from his as a consequence.

Sure, he didn't have to do anything if he didn't want to...

Only he did want to.

He closed the gap and pressed his lips to hers softly.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Maria groaned herself awake, head rolling back into the pillow. _God,_ she thought, running her hands through her tangled hair to massage her throbbing skull, _that is one hell of a hangover!_ She kept her eyes screwed shut against the sunlight that was inevitably blaring through the windows and tried to collect her thoughts. Flashes of last night echoed painfully in her head: the shots, the club, the music… just _thinking_ about how loud the music had been made her head hurt!

Grimacing, she squirmed under the covers. Her hand roamed over the shirt that covered her body and she was relieved she'd had the sense to change out of the dress before she'd slept. She was less impressed with herself when she felt the smoothness of the stockings still clinging to her legs.

Knowing she'd have to get up sooner or later, she elbowed herself upright, leaning her heavy head back on the headboard, and tentatively peeled her eyes open.

They instantly dropped to a frown. Her lips parted in confusion as she scoured her gaze at her surroundings. She shouldn't be here. This was her room; _Thor _was meant to be here, not her. She glanced to her side in panic and was relieved to find the space beside her empty.

Still, something buzzed alarmingly in her head. Picking her gaze up, she stared around her again; over her curtains blocking the world outside (mercifully), over her wardrobe, over the pictures propped up on the bedside table, the god stood in the doorway with a breakfast tray in his hands…

Her jaw dropped at the last one.

A smile blossomed over Thor's face as Maria's eyes locked on him, the frown still etched deep in her features. He strode forward, crossing the room almost instantly, and perched on the edge of the bed, gently placing the breakfast tray over the barely awoken woman's lap.

He smiled at her softly, reaching forward to brush away the hair clinging to her cheek and resting his warm palm over her cheek. "How are you feeling?"

Maria seemed to snap out of her confused, gaping trance as her headache bit back with a vengeance. "Rough." She admitted sluggishly, bring her hand to her temple. "My head is killing me!"

A light chuckle escaped Thor's lips and he peeled Maria's hand from her head, pressing her knuckles tenderly to his lips.

A smirk tugged at the corners of Maria's mouth. "It's all your fault. You were the one who got me drunk again." She accused teasingly, sitting up straighter, careful not to unbalance the tray in her lap.

"You seemed to enjoy yourself regardless." Thor murmured against her skin, his hot breath tickling her hand.

Her smirk deepened and she dropped her eyes. "I can't deny that." Finally her gaze washed over the tray in her lap and the frown slowly eased its way back into existence. The tray was adorned with a glass of water, a glass of orange juice and a plate of scrambled eggs on toast. Her mouth dropped open for a silent second before any words came out. "What is this?"

She tried not to sound too suspicious, but it was impossible. Scrambled eggs required cooking. The sole reason Maria had done all the cooking up to that point was because, simply put, she didn't trust Thor alone with the oven, half afraid he'd end up burning the house to the ground! But by the look of it, he'd done a good job. It _tasted_ like he'd done a good job too, Maria thought as she popped a forkful of eggs in her mouth.

"Breakfast." Thor answered smoothly, planting another kiss of her hand before releasing her and rising to stride around the edge of the bed.

Maria flinched as he moved to rip the curtains apart, fully prepared for sunlight to burn her eyes unbearably. She was pleasantly surprised then, when she saw the window was impenetrable for the torrents of rain outside, broken only by streaks of bright lightning that flashed over the village. She even managed a smile as Thor returned to her side.

Thor was grinning too. He wasn't about to tell her the dismal weather was his doing though, a direct physical embodiment of the surge of emotions that coursed through him still fresh from last night. He was buzzing.

"I'm so not getting into work through that." Maria smiled as she lifted the glass of juice to her mouth. "What time is it anyway?"

"It is just past midday."

Maria choked on the juice, breaking Thor's dreamy trance for a second. Her eyes were wide as she set the glass back down again. "What?" she squeaked. "I slept through the whole morning? And you're giving me breakfast in the afternoon?"

Thor smiled again, finding her big, Bambi eyes absolutely adorable. He chuckled as he laced his fingers round the back of her head and leaned in to press his mouth to her cheek. "Lunch _would_ be more appropriate," he conceded into her skin, happy when she finally relaxed against him, "But I thought a lighter meal would be better appreciated when you woke up."

Maria hummed in reluctant agreement. "How did you make this?" she finally asked when he pulled back, her eyes flickering down to the tray. "I didn't know you could cook."

"I watched you."

Having stood with Maria in the kitchen often while she cooked for him, it wasn't hard for him to eventually grasp what methods she used. He was glad he'd paid attention now; he was sure she wouldn't be this pleasant after such a hard night if the food wasn't there as sort of peace offering.

Maria scooped some more of the eggs into her mouth, and Thor smiled satisfied. He laced his fingers with her spare hand, resting on the sheets and pulled it up to his mouth once more, not taking his eyes off Maria's for a moment.

Suddenly, Maria's chewing slowly and she swallowed hard as something occurred to her: Thor was kissing her a lot. Sure, she'd got used to his habits by now, as if he couldn't get through the day without planting a chaste kiss to her hand, or cheek or forehead. But she'd barely woken up and he'd already kissed her hand at least thrice! That had to be some sort of record!

Her appetite vanished as she got the strange feeling she was missing something. There was a glint in Thor's eyes that affirmed it. Her heart notched up a few beats as her nerves started to climb.

"What happened after truth or dare?" she asked, half afraid to know the answer. Especially as Thor's gleaming eyes boldened.

He lowered her hand from his mouth to his chest. His lips curved in the most seductive boyish grin Maria had ever seen, but she was too troubled by her lack of memories after the game to be swayed by it. "You're friends went to dance." Thor said slowly, as if revelling in every detail. "And we left the establishment to … wonder in the alleyway outside."

Maria's heart plummeted. She vaguely remembered the kiss inside the club – something she couldn't believe she hadn't remembered earlier! – but what was surprisingly clear was the alleyway. The memories sprung up at Thor's words as if by command.

_Wonder as in kiss_, Maria finally pieced together with a nervous gulp.

The scene flashed memorably in her head; the two of them stood in the alleyway as the rain poured down around them, Thor pressing her firmly against the brick wall of the club as their mouths were glued together, the thunder roaring in triumph over their heads... but it was the way it had _felt_ that really made her heart stop. The way the water ran smoothly over Thor's bare torso, her dress and hair clinging to her body, clinging Thor close as if letting him go would make some part of her die inside...she'd never felt so complete, so happy than when she was in the arms of the god, him kissing her to euphoria.

She blushed, and Thor smirked, figuring out what thoughts were in her head. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "How did we get home?" she wondered aloud, her voice squeaking at the last note. She couldn't remember seeing Jane or the others again, so…

"I flew us." Thor breathed into her skin, trailing her hand back up to his mouth.

She didn't even try to curb her thoughts at this one. Her eyes rolled away from the god in front of her as she imagined them last night, hovering in the rainy sky, nothing but Thor's strong arm supporting her as they kissed in mid-air. Her heart thudded madly in her chest and she reached for the water (gently tearing her hand from Thor's in the process) to ease her suddenly parched throat.

New questions raced in her head – worrying questions that threatened to blurt out her mouth. She dropped her head in her hands as she reined them in, trying to revert back to common sense: the bed couldn't _possibly_ accommodate them both. That had to be some sort of comfort.

_Okay,_ Maria reassured in her head. So they didn't sleep together, or do anything too stupid. She hoped. She was suddenly reminded of her clothing.

"Where's the dress?" she asked tentatively, picking her head up at last. Thor wasted no time in claiming her hand again. She could see her heels abandoned across the room, and the stockings were accounted for still on her figure, but the dress…

Thor's eyes gleamed. "It is downstairs." A mischievous smirk flickered across his lips. "You thought you'd be more comfortable in my shirt."

_Yet I kept the stockings_, Maria through sarcastically to herself. Then she actually listened to Thor's words, echoing in her head – _his _shirt? What did he mean _his_ shirt?

"What?" Maria glanced down, accidentally ripping her hand free of Thor, and her eyes scoured over her body.

True to his word, her gaze found that she wasn't dressed in her night shirt as she'd first assumed, but Thor's black shirt, the one he'd worn originally before she'd supplied him with more clothes. It was thick and warm, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, the hem falling further down her figure than her normal night shirt did!

She clapped a hand to her forehead, ignoring the pain of her steady headache. "I can't believe this." she moaned, screwing her eyes shut.

She offered no protest, face buried in her hands as Thor carefully scooped her forward, enveloping her in his warm, secure arms. He could feel her racing heartbeat thudding against his chest. She could feel the power of his muscles as he held her.

"You are upset?" Thor held his breath for her answer, suddenly nervous as Maria eased herself free. Despair was written on her face.

Her eyes darted to the window. Piece by piece she remembered flashes of the night before; staggering into the house, Thor's arms holding her so wonderfully tight and close as they kissed on the couch, the heat of his skin, of his kiss, the way she laughed into his mouth as they'd lost their balance and stumbled back in the alleyway… "Not upset." She finally breathed, blinking her round eyes back to his.

How could all that happen and she not remember it until he told it to her? That was undoubtedly the best night of her life! She just wished she could remember it soberly.

She pressed her lips together as frustration began to build.

Thor watched curiously as the boldness slowly crept back into her defiant gaze, her chest rising and falling rapidly. He moved closer, ready to hold and reassure her again should she need it. The panic and anguish was quickly leaving her eyes, but so was her control.

"But you weren't even that drunk!" she finally blurted hysterically, eyes wide and glistening at him.

He'd had nowhere near as much to drink as she had last night, but she knew that even if he had he never would have gotten to her drunken state. He'd said so himself; alcohol didn't affect him in the same way as it did mortals. _Damned godly powers_, she cursed, as she tried to gather her frantic heartbeat.

Thor let out a low chuckle, an almost feral glint in his eye. "No," he half growled, leaning in and locking his hand firmly at the base of Maria's neck, "I wasn't."

Then he sealed their lips together in a searing kiss.

XXX

Maria sat on the couch, a cushion hugged to her stomach and Thor's massive arm draped loosely over her shoulders. She didn't mind; his shoulder was a comfortable pillow.

Her dull eyes watched the screen of the television, barely taking in the images.

"What is this we're watching?" Thor asked, gently tightening his arm around her just for the sake of being able to. She didn't seem to have any intention of shrugging him off.

"Lord of the Rings." Maria droned, eyes slipping shut. "It's a good film to watch when you have a hangover. I've got the whole trilogy. We're having a marathon."

Thor didn't ask, nor did he care. He wasn't watching the film. He was revelling in the feeling of Maria's weight against him, totally submitted. Her head on his shoulder, her small body curled up against his - he couldn't think of a better way to spend a day. That night of drinking had paid off with colossal results!

He knew - guiltily - that she must feel awful. She hadn't complained since this morning, but Thor could tell. Her actions were dragging. Her head on his shoulder told him she was tired and had a head ache. She was exhausted and spent from drinking all night though she didn't seem to be complaining about it. Thor wasn't going to tempt his luck though. He knew better than that. Instead, he snuggled the small woman closer and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"Are you going into work tomorrow?" he asked, hoping she'd say no. He'd like to think he could keep her here and she'd have no choice, but that wasn't how he wanted to win her affections. Force wasn't the answer.

"I have to." she moaned. Thor's heart sank. "I've spent two days off already, I can't miss anymore. Babies don't deliver themselves." she shifted more comfortably against his shoulder. She still wore his black shirt over her body, revelling in its warmth.

Maria groaned and leaned into him. He beamed against her hair.

"I love this shirt." she mumbled through dreamy lips, making Thor chuckle. She hugged the garment closer around her and hummed in satisfaction.

"Are you still in pain?"

Her eyes stayed fluttered shut. "No. Your magic shirt cures headaches. I'm just tired."

Thor's thumb stroked her arm. "Then sleep."

A small smile graced her lips. "Question." she suddenly said, "Where did you sleep last night?" She knew she shoulder be nervous about the answer, but with the shirt and Thor holding her close, she found she was nothing but curious. Just filling in the details for when Jane forced the story out of her.

"I slept down here. I thought you'd be more comfortable in your own bed for the night so I made an exchange."

Maria grinned. She couldn't imagine letting Thor tuck her into bed after the way they'd ... well, made out last night. Which left only one thing: "I fell asleep down here, didn't I?"

She felt Thor's cheek stretch in a smile as he rested it on the side of her head. "Yes." he finally admitted. "You fell asleep when I was fetching you a glass of water, so I took you upstairs."

"Took as in carried?"

"Of course."

She snuggled against him. "Am I really that light?" she wondered aloud, recalling all the times the god seemed to just scoop her off her feet effortlessly.

Thor's arm tightened around her. "You weigh next to nothing."

Maria merely shrugged, not quite believing him but too drowsy to argue. She fluttered her eyes shut as she surrendered to the warmth of the Gods shoulder.

XXX

The next time Maria blinked her eyes open, Aragorn was being crowned, singing that strange song to the assembled crowd. She jerked upright, and her head span sickeningly.

"Ow." She grimaced pressing a palm to her forehead. Slowly, she peeled her eyes open again staring sadly at the screen. "I missed it!" Then something else nagged on her mind. "Hold on - how did the film change? We were watching the Fellowship but this is the end of the Return of the King." Her eyes rolled questioningly up at Thor.

His own glinted down in triumph. "I changed the discs in the machine." he explained proudly. "I've seen you do it once and worked it out. The Two Towers film was most enjoyable."

Maria's mouth gaped. "I missed the end of the Fellowship, _and_ the Two Towers, _and_ Return of the King?" She thudded her head back on Thor's shoulder. She must have been out of it completely if he'd been able to up and change the disc twice and she hadn't woken once. "It must be late." She suddenly realised.

"It is night, yes." Thor smiled affirmatively, watching keenly as the screen rolled through Sam's wedding. "Are you hungry?"

"No."

He chuckled. "You're still going to eat."

With that he eased her off him - with a groan of protest from Maria - and disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a bowl of soup he'd been brewing while she slept. He jaw dropped when she saw the food, and Thor rearranged the cushion on her lap, placing the bowl atop of it carefully so as to not burn her skin. He handed her a spoon and she took it, staring at him dreamily. The shirt, the film and the food - this might just be the most perfect man she'd ever laid eyes on.

She smiled in bliss and nuzzled her head fondly against Thor's chest. He captured her hand in his and kissed it chastely, something Maria didn't think she'd ever get tired of. "Where have you been all my life..."

Thor grinned and gently enticed Maria to eat. His eyes glowered over the screen watching the last of the film. Sam trudged back to his family and Thor smiled dreamily. He hoped he could have a life like that one day, with a wife to come home to and to bear his children. His grin widened. Lots of children, he decided. He wanted lots of little Thors and Thorettes running around.

Maria clattered her spoon against the bowl accidentally and Thor's attention was drawn to her. She stared back innocently, unaware of the thoughts coursing through his head. _Maybe,_ he thought, envisioning Maria in white, _maybe one day..._

One hand steadied the soup bowl as he suddenly swooped down and pressed his mouth to hers, tasting the hot soup on her lips. She offered no protest, her warm mouth moving with his sweetly.

She was beaming when he pulled away. "What was that for?" she laughed bemused.

Thor merely grinned and pulled her in close. _Yes, one day..._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Well?" Jane arched a sceptical eyebrow, arms folded across her chest demandingly. Her eyes twinkled. "Spill. What happened to you and Thor?"

Maria smirked at her friend. "Nothing."

She knew Jane would find out sooner or later what had happened but that didn't mean Maria was going to make it easy for her. It was too much fun to miss. Maria busied herself with the babies in the room, all sleeping soundly in their incubators, while Jane hovered by the door, grinning eagerly to hear all the gory details.

"You left the club, right?"

"We left the club." Maria nodded affirmatively, bending over to check the temperature of one of the cases.

Her eyes flickered to the clock. 11:53 pm - not long until her shift finished. Then she and Thor could go home and be free of Jane's interrogation.

Well, Maria would be free. Thor wasn't even here to endure it in the first place! Having seen how much he'd suffered that first day, she'd tried to make it easier for him somehow, so he wasn't stuck spending hours around no one other than pregnant and birthing women. Instead, she'd managed to organise some other work around the hospital for him to keep him busy. Porting work had suited him fine, she recalled with a smile. Young, fit, strong and hansom - what sort of person was better for wheeling patients around the hospital? Plus, no one could deny that Thor was interesting. They'd never be bored. Maria was more glad than ever that she'd sent him off; Jane's questioning would have broken him. She wanted to deal with this privately.

Jane seemed to fill in some gaps herself and skipped to the things she really wanted to know. "So..." she grinned mischievously. "Are you two together, or what?"

Maria hesitated, hand hovering on the glass over a tiny premature baby. "I don't know what we are." She confessed quietly. Sure she didn't like him as just a friend anymore, but officially nothing had changed. There had been no grand declarations or confessions of love, so... what did that leave her with?

"Bull." Jane dismissed instantly, moving clear of the incubators to lean by the door. No escape. "You like him, right?"

Maris blushed profusely. "Yes."

"And he likes you, right?"

"Well... I don't know."

"He kissed you, made you breakfast in bed, and gave you his shirt, right?"

Maria's blush flamed deeper. "Yes."

"Then he likes you!"

A small smile flickered over Maria's face, and she too wondered to the front of the room, free of the rows of lined incubators. "I don't know..." And she didn't. "That's just what he does." she said dreamily, trailing her hand over the paper strewn desktop, "That's just Thor..."

"Maria." Jane whined, slumping her shoulders. Maria glanced up to her friend. "You aren't half stupid sometimes."

Maria sighed a chuckle and lowered her gaze again, filled with such uncertainty. She didn't know what to feel. She didn't know what she _dared_ to feel. Caring was a risk. She'd loved and lost before, and it hurt. By God it hurt! Did she really want to risk that again? With someone like Thor? Someone who wasn't really hers to lose in the first place...

"You go." she finally said, moving back amongst the infants as one stirred and let out a cry. She angled a less than convincing smile at her friend. "I'll just get Aaron to sleep."

XXX

Thor was grinning as midnight struck and he waltzed back up the maternity unit in search of Maria. He'd had a most invigorating day. Well - night. When Maria had told him she was to be working the night shift, he hadn't been happy, but she'd cheered him up when she'd revealed it was the last shift she would have to do for her training.

After this night, Thor would have Maria all to himself.

He walked through the familiar corridors, glancing through the windows to see if Maria was inside one of the rooms as he passed, more than eager to see her again. His fists clenched and unclenched, growing more and more anxious the longer he went without seeing Maria's face. By the time he'd reached the last room, he was getting quite desperate. He breathed a sigh of relief when he caught Maria's form sat daintily inside.

The smile the blossomed on his face was colossal, but his hand paused as it reached for the door handle. Something stopped him. Something made him _look_.

His eyes were glued to Maria as he watched her though the glass: she was sat at the front of a room in a chair, a small baby cradled softly in her arms and she rocked it delicately from side to side. Thor's heart damn near stopped in his chest at the sight. _She looks so perfect_, he thought. Her face held a sense of softness, so blissful it made Thor fall for her all over again, longing for her to lift her eyes and fix that expression on him - _for_ him! He ached for her to feel that from him. The breath hitched in his throat, and he couldn't help but glimpse, guessing about the future. Before, Maria had been his bride. Now he took it a step further; he saw her as she was, baby in arms, only it wasn't just any baby anymore. He dreamed of his child in her arms, his own bright blue eyes staring up from the tiny creature Maria might one day bless him with. What if, he thought, heart hammering so hard in his chest it hurt. _His_ wife, and _his_ child, forever...

Then Maria's voice ghosted to him through the door, and he breathed a sigh of blissful content he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Her words, her voice, easing his heart as she sang softly to the near asleep infant:

_"What day is it_  
_And in what month?_  
_This clock never seemed so alive_  
_I can't keep up, and I can't back down_  
_I've been losing so much time."_

A flicker of a smile crossed Maria's lips, and Thor's heart leapt.

_"'Cause it's you and me_  
_And all of the people with nothing to do_  
_Nothing to lose_  
_And it's you and me_  
_And all the other people_  
_And I don't know why_  
_I can't keep my eyes off of you..."_

The last line rang painfully true for him as he watched the wondrous woman glance down at the sleeping child she held, and eased herself up, gently replacing the baby back in its crib: Thor couldn't take his eyes off her. Not for a second. She was like a Goddess, perfect in every way as her eyes finally lifted and caught his gaze through the glass. The smile she shot him melted his heart in his chest.

Finally, his will shattered and he wrenched the door open to join her, inwardly growling in satisfaction as Maria half trotted towards him to close the gap sooner.

"Hi." she beamed breathlessly, brushing her hair back from her cheek.

Thor covered her hand with his and held it firmly to her cheek, his other snaking around her waist to draw her in. A flustered look flashed through Maria's smile briefly, but she recovered fast, quickly adjusting to Thor's alluring impatience. Her eyes fluttered up at him through her thick eyelashes as he leaned down, hand gently angling her head to the side.

He could feel her breath tantalizingly on his lips, just millimetres away from hers as he braced himself to close the gap, to seal her as his there and then -

"Maria Sorin."

The interrupting voice at the door, tore a snarl from Thor's throat as he reluctantly peeled away from Maria and angled his body between her and the intruder. He could see instantly that he'd been right to.

Whereas at first his reaction had been nothing more than his emotions going wild at being denied the intimate moment with Maria that he'd planned, his instincts soon sharpened to something else. The man - tall, dark-skinned, an eye patch over one eye and a cold look in the one it did not cover - stood in the doorway in dark ominous leather, was most definitely not here for innocent means.

His thoughts were confirmed when Maria gasped sharply, and moved further behind the god's protecting body.

Thor's fists clenched. "Who are you?" he growled, clinging to his self control, trying to remember where he was. Maria's tentative hand clinging to the back of his shirt tested him though, "And what do you want?"

The man didn't flinch. "I'm Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D." he said calmly, wisely keeping his distance. "I need to talk to Maria Sorin about her father's research."

"You have it." Maria said bitterly from behind Thor before he could respond. "You stole it already. Murderers."

_So these were the people_, Thor thought angrily in his head. These were the people Maria had mistaken him for when they'd first met. These were the people that had taken her father from her, the reason his body now lay in the cemetery was them. Thor's jaw gritted even more: these were the people that had robbed a little girl of that wondrous smile in the photographs...

"Leave now." he warned in a dark and dangerous voice, dripping with violent intent. "Stay away from us."

Thor wasn't to know about the way Maria's heart abruptly thudded in her chest at his words. Us... not her, _us_. He was with her. Her hand relaxed slightly at his shirt, leaning into his skin comfortingly.

Fury wasn't backing down though. "That's not a possibility." he said bluntly. "We have your brother, Loki, in captivity and need Miss Sorin to come with us immediately."

Thor tried to resist the urge to call Mjolnir to him. Ripping a hammer through the hospital at the dead of night would not be a good idea. His hand twitched with his weapons' absence though. He satisfied it by reaching behind and flattening it down Maria's back protectively, reminding him of his purpose. "Leave." he repeated. "I will not ask again."

Thor couldn't deny he was impressed with the director - not so much as a blink! He shifted his stance so he was side on to the pair and jerked his head out to the corridor. "Let's take this outside."

As much as he resented it, Thor had to agree. A confrontation - fight or no fight - should not be fulfilled in a room of infants. Arm still firmly at Maria's side, glad to still feel her hand clenching his shirt at his waist, he slowly followed the director through the hospital, leaving the maternal ward and down into the Accident and Emergency floor. The doors were in sight, where there would be air, open space and fewer witnesses to involve in whatever would follow against the stranger. Thor's body raged in preparation. He'd defend Maria to the death if he had to, though he was sure it wouldn't come to that. Not his death at least...

The exit was halfway across the room, nearing quickly. Thor's eyes were fixed on it intently as they strode purposely across the floor.

They stopped in their tracks though, as a familiar figure stepped through the door, all eyes widening in a combination of surprise, shock and disbelief.

Jason raised the gun from the doorway and fired.

Thor didn't have time to think. The director rolled clear to the side while Thor threw himself ahead of Maria, shielding her body with his as the shots rang out one after the other. Screams echoed thunderously around the department, but Thor could still hear his breath hitch in his throat as he tried to gather his scattered thoughts. He paused a second too long: Jason's wild shots suddenly honed in on the couple, Maria's sharp cry of pain quickly following the blasts.

That kicked Thor back into focus.

Instincts kicked in as he pulled himself - and Maria - to the floor, feeling his rage slowly burn through his veins furiously. Maria had been hit. That was the only thought that flowed through his head as he threw his body up against the assault, the shots now wild and uncontrolled with panic, most of the bullets flying harmlessly into the walls.

But not all. Thor didn't stop running as the bullets bit into his arm and shoulder, hand calling for Mjolnir despite his earlier reservations. The hammer crashed through the wall and found its master effortlessly.

Thor let go of his control as he slammed the hammer forward, armour still melting over his body. Mjolnir collided with Jason's outstretched hand, spinning the firearm from his grasp and crushing the mortals hand instantly. The brute didn't even have time to cry out as Thor turned in a spin and slammed his spare arm across Jason's head with a force that smashed him halfway across the hospital floor. He smacked into the ground with a sickening crack that echoed over the lingering screams, where his body stilled.

_Not dead_, Thor thought, blood boiling as he gasped. Not from exertion thought - from _holding back. _He'd be breaking his word after all: he wouldn't kill Jason.

Not yet.

He was too preoccupied, casting Mjolnir aside as he turned and threw himself down at Maria's trembling side. The red of her blood had him whimpering helplessly. "Oh Gods..."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Sir, you have to stay _still_. I need to treat you."

Thor completely ignored the fretting nurse that scampered after him as he marched up and down the ward, staring at face after face in each bed that he passed. None were the face he was looking for.

"You may treat my wounds _after_ I find Maria." he growled, tearing back the curtains surrounding one bed, only to be disappointed by the elderly man inside. He didn't miss the patch on the gentleman's arm though, the small circular blot of red staining the bandages. _He'd been shot_, Thor realised as he moved on. He recognised the wound, the same one's stinging the muscle of his left shoulder and the bicep of his right arm, bared for all the world to see after the nurse had made him abandon his shirt. When she'd tried to treat him though, he'd lost patience and went in search of Maria, knowing that she too was injured.

Thor tried to grit his teeth against the memory of her cries but it was useless, the echoing sound from long ago still fresh in his mind. He'd felt the way her body had shuddered from the impact behind him, feeling her crumple...

Thor half wished he'd killed her vermin of a brother but he'd held back, leaving the pathetic excuse for life to the law enforcers. Killing him would have been too easy, he'd decided. Too quick. Too merciful. At least this way, alive and captive, he'd have the rest of his life to suffer for what he'd done.

His eyes scoured up the last of the beds up along the ward, growing more and more frustrated and angry. Where were they keeping her? He was her protector - it was his right to check on her welfare, to be able to see her! He stormed up to the last of the beds, shielded with a pale blue curtain and tore it open, his face still thunderous.

It softened instantly as he found her.

"Maria..." he strode inside, casting back the curtain against the pestering nurse. Maria was curled up at the very head of the bed, one knee drawn up to her chest, hugged their tightly, while the other leg was splayed out bent down the bed. Not broken, Thor decided as he scoured his eyes over her thigh and calf, fully exposed to him as her trousers were folded at the foot of the bed. It wasn't hard to see why: a white patch, with slight red marks was pressed to the side of her body, somewhere between where her hip met her thigh. He longed to lean in and inspect it himself, but judging by the way Maria trembled, her head buried in her folded arms, he didn't think he'd be doing her any favours.

He perched on the bedside and tentatively reached out his arm to her. His fingers brushed another bandage on her upper arm and she flinched. Finally, Thor dropped his hand back to his side.

His eyes gleamed over her fragile form, his heart tugging at his helplessness. "What can I do?" he asked softly. He guessed by the way her head lightly bobbed that she was crying.

Slowly, Maria's head lifted and he drank in the tears streaming thick and fast down her cheeks. Her hand covered her mouth as her eyes met his, gleaming with a despair that broke Thor's heart with a sharp crack. He couldn't help himself: ignoring his body's protests he reached forward and scooped Maria in his arms, careful not to touch or jostle her injured hip or arm. He held her close to him, hand gently at the back of her head as she cried into his bare chest. Her small body rocked with sobs, and Thor felt the moisture of her tears on his skin. He had to remind himself not to hold her too tightly.

Instead, he peeled her back slightly and cupped her face in his hands, kissing her cheeks, her forehead, her closed eyelids, her mouth - desperate for her to know how relieved he was that she was safe, that she was alive! He didn't stop until he'd kissed every pearly tear from her face, and new ones stopped taking their place.

Maria slumped against his body weakly, her hand resting gently on his broad chest.

"He tried to kill me, Thor." she mumbled numbly against his skin. "I never thought he would go that far." She pulled back slightly, her fingers trailing upwards as her eyes found the wound on his shoulder. Her eyes glistened dangerously, the breath hitching in her throat. "I'm so sorry he hurt you-"

Thor caught her wrist before she could dissolve in sobs again and hide her face from him, his arm at her back pulling her closer. He crashed his mouth down on hers before she could say anything else, cry for anything else, tasting the lingering saltiness of her tears on her lips. He kissed her hard, devouring her mouth with his needily, flattening her body to him. He needed to hold her, to reassure himself that she was still here in his arms, alive and well enough to kiss him back.

When he pulled back, he was breathless, but it didn't stop him kissing her cheeks again. "I would take a thousand bullets for you." he breathed huskily against her skin, feeling his heartbeat pound against her tiny body.

She merely whimpered in reply, fighting against another wave of anguish.

"Maria," Thor carefully placed his hand at the side of her face, angling her head so she was forced to look into his sincere crystal blue eyes. "I am not hurt." he half lied, with a flicker of a smile. "I have faced much worse than this, and Asgardians heal differently to mortals. I will be fine within a week. It is yourself you ought to be concerned about." Thor would be fine, he knew that. He'd said a week, but it might not even take that long - he was an Asgardian. Mortal weapons couldn't inflict much damage to him.

To Maria, on the other hand...

Thor was relieved when she half shrugged her shoulder, a almost undetectable curve kissing the corner of her mouth. "He only grazed me." she murmured. "I won't even have a limp."

Thor smiled, sighing with relief. His fingers roamed to lightly seize her chin as he descended his mouth tenderly upon hers.

XXX

An hour later, Maria and Thor sat in the waiting room of the hospital, Maria cradled delicately in Thor's lap with her head on his shoulder. His fingers stroked gently though her hair, pausing only for him to interrupt with soft kisses to her forehead whenever he felt her start to shudder against him.

She hadn't said a word since he'd last kissed her; she just held a dull, lifelessness in her eyes. Her wounds were dressed and covered and - as she'd predicted! - she didn't even have a limp. Just a small chunk of her upper arm was missing, noticable only with a small ridge denting the smooth skin of her arm, hidden by the bandage. The only sign to show she was really conscious was the occasional tug at Thor's shirt as her trembling took hold again.

After what felt like a lifetime, Jane exploded through the door.

"Oh my God, Maria. Are you _okay_?"

Thor opened his arms for Maria to rise and let her friend throw her arms around her, less than gently. Jane hugged Maria close, then held her at arms length, running her eyes up and down her frail form critically before crushing her into a hug again. Thor watched the endless cycle with sympathy.

"I'm okay." Maria finally shuddered, a ripple coursing through her body and Jane pulled back again. "Thor's worse. He actually got hit. I was just skimmed."

Thor's jaw set. He could practically hear the double meaning in Maria's words, screaming at him so boldly it made him want to take up the small woman in his arms once more, only this time he wouldn't be so easy to let her go. They both knew what would have happened if he hadn't been in the bullets path: Maria would have at least two more wounds, and they wouldn't have just been grazes. He tried to keep the image from his head but it kept creeping up, visions of Maria's body lying still and lifeless on a hospital bed plaguing his mind, two distinct circles of red bleeding where her heart would be and on the other side of her chest, eyes wide, but vacant and glassy. His fists clenched and unclenched tensely. Without him, Maria would be dead. Of that much he was certain. And it burned him inside.

He guessed Jane made a similar connection too, as her sharp eyes locked on him over Maria's shoulder. "You!" She jabbed a finger at him, peeling away from Maria.

Thor barely had time to tense before Jane threw herself at him. Combined with the blazing look in her eye and the unpredictable spirit he knew to be inside her, he expected her to swing for him, bracing himself for an impact - so it surprised the hell out of him when she clamped her hands either side of his face and planted a sloppy kiss on his mouth!

"You wonderful, wonderful man!" she half shrieked, kissing him again and again, ignoring the way Thor tried to push her away. "Thank God Maria found you! You are most definitely coming to my wedding. I can never thank you enough!"

"We can't come to the wedding."

Maria's voice seemed to echo around the small waiting room, freezing both Thor and Jane. Thor frowned at her curiously, taking in the sadness and the touch of fear in her eyes. Even Jane seemed stunned, staggering back from Thor and staring at her friend with a surprising gentleness. "What?" she finally stammered at Maria.

Thor leaned forward, eager to hear Maria's answer.

He didn't miss the way she gulped before her glistening eyes trained on him. "We're going away for a while." she said more to him than to Jane. "We're leaving."

XXX

"You are sure you want to do this?"

Thor had his arm slung around Maria's shoulder, leaning her against his warm body as they wondered out the back door of the hospital with slow, lazy steps. She had Thor's jacket tugged loosely around her shoulders, the material still stained with his blood. It was better than leaving her exposed to the chill though, Thor thought.

For the warmth of just days ago, such a cool night was strange. But Thor had the feeling the brewing storm had more to do with him - and with the ominous frame of the S.H.I.E.L.D director stood across the car park - that it did with anything natural.

His arm tightened protectively around Maria.

"I have to." she murmured dully, resting her head against him tiredly.

"But these people killed your father."

Maria hesitated, drawing in a shaky breath. "A lot more people will die if I run away." she finally breathed. "My brother hurt a lot of people today. If I just hide and hope for the best ... the same thing will happen again with your brother, only on a bigger scale." She drew to a stop and turned into Thor, talking to his chest. "I have to try. These people can offer more protection. I might be able to help. I have to at least try."

Thor's eyes sharpened as a flash of movement caught his attention, and he watched Nick Fury stride closer, quickly closing the distance. The god gripped Mjolnir harder in his spare hand and let his amour flow into existence over his body.

He wasn't subtle in his dislike of the director.

He angled his form sideward's against Fury, defensively putting himself between the director and Maria. His hand flattened on her back possessively.

"Don't leave me." She whispered, leaving a cool patch of mist on his armoured chest.

Thor's eyes flickered, glancing past the advancing director at the distant horizon: a small slither of exposed sky had crept out of reach of his overhanging storm - growing by the second, the gathering wind starting to swirl Maria's dark locks around her head. His glittering blue eyes drank in the pale pink-orange of the sky as morning began to rise over the village. The village they wouldn't be going back to.

Thor's will set. "Never."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Maria hugged her arms around herself as Nick Fury led them through the Helicarrier, into the lab full of 'avengers'. She stiffened instantly as four new pairs of eyes locked on her, shrinking into herself at the attention. Not even Thor's reassuring hand at her shoulder could calm her.

"This is Maria Sorin." the director declared to the silent, staring team - albeit, most of them were staring at Thor, still in his armour and carrying his colossal hammer.

The weight of the stares seemed to pin Maria's eyes down to her folded arms, and she focussed on the throng of her heartbeat - anything to distract her from the team of super heroes! Even the one at her shoulder.

She screwed her eyes shut for a minute and tried to block out the world around her long enough to calm herself down. Her thoughts flew to home, to the cottage, to her friends, to sitting with Thor on the couch watching Titanic while she blushed like crazy...a small smile pricked at her lips and she found the courage to flicker her eyes upwards for a moment. Her heart dropped as she met the gazes of four super humans, instinctively turning to the director for help - only to find an empty space and a closed door where he'd once stood. Her mouth was open, eyes wide with panic as she turned front ways again.

"You're just in time for the party." a dark haired man with a bored expression said, as he wondered lazily to one of the high tech monitors. "Jarvis just finished digging up every last one of S.H.I.E.L.D's dirty little secrets."

Maria was still too frozen to react, eyes blinking at the stranger with the light shining though his shirt blankly.

"You are spying on them?" Thor asked for her.

"They're the spies." another dark haired man chipped in, stepping forward towards the couple, unfolding his crossed arms. "We're just cluing up on who we're working for. Bruce Banner," He offered a hand out to Thor, before noting the god's hands were busy with Mjolnir and Maria, moving on quickly. "Wild card of the team. That's Agent Natasha Romanov in the corner," glancing briefly over his shoulder at a red-headed woman sat on one of the table tops, leaning against the wall while she examined the gun in her hands, "Steven Rogers and Tony Stark. Working his magic."

The first man rolled his eyes over his shoulder from the monitor screen. "Like I need an introduction, Banner!" he scoffed. "I'm kind of famous, remember. The big tower with my name on it tends to give it away." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

A frown finally cracked Maria back to life. "Who are you?"

A blonde man that had to be Rogers laughed, rolling his eyes to Stark - who'd froze, snapping his intensely furrowed gaze to Maria. "Not as famous as you thought, huh, Stark?"

"What?" Stark ignored him, speaking directly to Maria. "Don't have civilisation back in England? No weapons? No TV? No newspapers? 'Cos I kind of dominate that here."

"Sorry." Her voice slightly shaky with apology, eyes round imploringly as her shoulders lifted in a stiff shrug. "Never heard of you." Her teeth gnawed anxiously on her lip.

The monitor bleeped, drawing Starks attention back though the frown remained etched in his features. "You know that accent is simply adorable." he said coldly and mockingly, tapping away at the technology that hung in the air. "Say something else, English."

"Watch your tone." Thor warned darkly before Maria could say anything back, his arm tightening protectively around Maria's shoulders, affirming his grip on Mjolnir's handle. "You know not who you speak to."

"Oh yes I do. I've got her profile up."

Maria's frown dug deeper than ever as she stepped clean out of Thor's arm, before catching herself and freezing halfway between him and Stark. "I've got a profile?"

"Seems you're a very important person Miss Sorin."

Maria ignored Banner, staring intensely at the arrogant genius at the monitor as his eyes rolled over the information. "But I'm nobody." She insisted, rather pathetically. "My dad was the important one, not me. I don't know anything."

"S.H.I.E.L.D doesn't see it that way." Stark let out a low, impressed whistle. "Quite the extensive background you have, Miss… Maria, was it?"

"That is none of your concern." Thor took control again, striding forward back to Maria's side, though this time he didn't move to claim her. Even without the contact, Maria could feel the Gods patience waning fast; his anger rolled off him in waves, making even her nervous. She hoped for his own sake that Stark would shut up before he pushed the God of Thunder too far. A fight wouldn't be a good start to her first day.

"I think it's everyone's concern if we're all going to be teammates, Hammer Boy."

Maria reacted fast, turning and flattening her hand on Thor's scaled armoured chest, freezing him as his hammer rose through the air. Her eyes glowered over his gritted teeth and blazing eyes, bearing into Stark murderously.

"Thor." She said quietly, letting out an inward sigh of relief when he tore his burning eyes down to her. He still held some control then, she thought. There was no way he'd hurt her, but it was the listening to her bit that she'd been concerned about. She moved her spare hand to his raised bicep and tried to entice it down, feeling the muscle ripple even through the toughness of his armour. His arm didn't budge. "It's okay." She crooned. "Let it go."

_Shut up Stark_, she willed desperately in her head, not daring to take her eyes off Thor to say the words aloud. Her body was tense as she waited, the silence in the room sharp and deadly. It felt like a lifetime, but finally Thor's arm slackened slightly under her touch. His chest was still taunt though.

She moved her hand from his chest up to his cheek, stroking the rough hairs of his beard tenderly. "Thor – _let it go_." She repeated. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. It's just a name."

Finally, she gauged a rational response from the god: "He insulted you also." He growled throatily.

_English_, Maria recapped in her head, thinking fast. "I don't care." She rushed. "Look at me, Thor, I don't care. Let it go. It's just a name. Please," she leaned her body in closer, glistening her gaze up at him. "For me."

That was it – her last card. Beyond that, she didn't think she'd be able to control him. She held his eye insistently, until – mercifully! – the fiery rage started to slip and his body began to relax. His arm lowered back to his side, his free hand moving up to claim Maria's at his cheek, peeling it down to his lips as his crystal blue orbs lost their stony edge. They were still far from happy though, a cold tint warning her that he wasn't going to simply forget what Stark said.

"For you." He eventually conceded, pressing her knuckles to his mouth one last time before he lowered it to his side (still holding it tightly) and opened up the to the rest of the room again. His eyes glowered over Stark. "Have care how you speak." His voice was low and dangerous. "I do not favour those who insult all I care about."

Stark simply arched a mischievous eyebrow, and Maria rolled her eyes. Did this guy have no sense at all?

Thankfully, he turned his attention back to the screen. "Hammer Boy know all this?"

Maria's hand tightened around Thor's, although the pressure from his grip was already crushing her fingers. "I'd be careful with the names if I were you. And yes, he knows. I don't have anything to hide."

"Sure about that?" Stark raised an arrogant eyebrow. "Parents?"

"Common knowledge."

"Abusive brother?"

"Dealt with." she thudded her head against Thor's hard arm.

"Are you done yet?" Thor snapped angrily, his face like thunder as he advanced a dangerous step, pulling Maria with him.

Maria's mind flashed warningly; Thor was losing his last strings of patience fast. His vice like grip around her hand told her that! She could see the knuckles on the hand clutching Mjolnir gleaming a dangerous white. She hoped for Stark's sake he ended his little game fast.

Stark didn't even glance at him. "Not quite." his blue eyes glinted in Maria's direction. "2003? 2005?"

Maria's mouth opened instinctively to dismiss it, but she froze as she actually listened. _2003._ Her mind remembered, thinking back with dread._ 2005. _Her heart dropped to the floor, the colour draining from her face as she realised exactly what Stark was referring to. "No!" she blurted recklessly. She checked her voice as Thor's sharp eyes finally tore from Stark to her. Her cheeks flushed slightly, refusing to take her eyes off of Stark. "Not that."

"I thought you said Lover Boy knew everything?"

Thor didn't even seem to hear the name, his frowning gaze riveted to Maria. "_Not that_." She breathed urgently, praying Stark could read the seriousness in her eyes and tone.

"What is it?" Thor demanded.

Maria could feel his gaze on her but she didn't trust herself to answer it. _Don't tell him_, she urged Stark in her head. _Don't say it. I don't want him to know._ Thor was angry as it was, and now she was pushing her own boundaries by frustrating him more, denying him what he wanted to know. She didn't care; she'd rather he be mad at her than know the truth.

"Please." She pleaded when Stark showed no sign of letting up.

"Stark." Rogers glanced at Maria, and then to Thor, nervously. Maria hoped Stark would listen to his team mate.

"Well, why not?" the arrogant man eventually shrugged, making Maria feel sick. "Well you trust him, right, and he knows everything, but you won't tell him this. Bit odd don't you think?" He flickered his gaze up to Thor. "Why do you think she's keeping secrets from you?"

Thor simply gritted his teeth in response.

Maria's heart raced, her breaths heaving slightly with panic. Stark was pushing Thor again; that wasn't good. Her round eyes gleamed imploringly as Stark jabbed a finger at the monitor.

"You don't think he deserves to know?"

"It's not that-" Maria started urgently, feeling Thor tense beside her.

"You don't trust him?"

"No, I just-"

"'Cos if my girlfriend had this lurking in her past, I'd want to know about it."

Maria rambled, desperate to say anything that might deter Stark: "It wasn't a big deal! I didn't mean it!"

"Maria?" Thor's voice was hard.

"Didn't mean it?" Stark raised his voice accusingly. "That's not what the records say."

Maria's eyes flickered terrified to Thor, catching his frowning blue gaze for half a heart stopping second. _Oh god_, she gasped in her head, feeling her body start to tremble slightly. Her head span sickeningly, but she clung to consciousness with everything she had. Fainting wouldn't protect her past. He was going to find out, she realised with knee weakening horror.

Stark turned back to the monitor. "You wanna know what happened in 2003 and 2005, Lover Boy?"

"Stark!" Maria shrieked frantically.

He ignored her: "Your little Maria tried to kill herself!" he declared loudly, stopping Maria's breaths and silent sobbing instantly. "Your precious little Maria tried to take her own life, _twice_, and damn near succeeded!"

The world froze for a pain staking moment, Maria's heart stopping harshly as if Starks revelation had shut it down. She felt like ice inside as her wide eyes rolled tantalizingly slow over to Thor. His face was ashen, his crystal blue orbs absolutely rigid with shock. His jaw dropped open, and Maria could feel his gaze scour over her body, feeling every touch of disbelief, hurt and betrayal stab into her with a fury.

She couldn't take it.

A whimper escaping her lips, she tore her hand from Thor's numb grip and ran to the door.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

The moment Maria stepped from his side Thor was hot on her heels.

He flew out the door after her in seconds, but she was faster then he'd expected, her nimble form already nearly at the end of the corridor. "Maria!" he called after her, his voice still rough. Fast or not, she could not outrun a god: in a few long, sprinting steps Thor had closed the distance. He caught her arm as she turned to shoot down another corridor, jerking her back so her body thudded into the wall harder than he'd intended. He didn't have time to be sorry though. There were more important things to be said.

For a moment he just held onto her arm as she struggled weakly, watching the way gentle tears rolled down her deathly white cheeks. He was breathing hard, for reasons he didn't understand.

"Maria," he said again, softer, moving closer. "Is it true? What the Stark man said?" He gulped nervously, already knowing the answer, but needing to hear it from her own lips. "Is it true?" He couldn't bring himself to say the actual words. To ask if she had really tried to – he swallowed hard – _kill herself_. He couldn't even imagine it…

She covered her face with her hands and let out and anguished whine. "I didn't want you to know. It was a long time ago. I didn't know you then."

"You could have told me…"

Thor wished he'd known. He wished it so hard it hurt: he wanted to know everything about her, good and bad. Finding these things out from the likes of Stark was not how he wanted his relationship with Maria to progress. He tried not to feel to selfish, brushing aside his hurt to try and think of how bad Maria must be feeling about everything. It wasn't hard: her hands slowly peeled down and she forced a few level breaths, collecting herself. Thor founds he preferred her distraught to the blank, vacant mask that formed over her face, eyes dulling almost lifelessly. He moved his hand from her arm to plant it on the wall beside her head, needing to be closer to her. It wasn't enough and he dropped Mjolnir to the floor with a metallic thud, cupping her cold cheek in his palm.

"Maria…" he breathed over her lips. She didn't respond.

"I didn't know you back then." She repeated, quietly, eyes distant as they hovered somewhere over his chest. "I didn't know what else to do."

Thor's breath hitched in his throat. "Tell me." He implored. "I will not judge."

A sad smile flickered over Maria's lips and Thor's heart leapt that she was showing signs of life again, even if it were ones of distress. He offered no resistance as she numbly nudged free of him, wondering a few steps until her back was firmly to him. She let loose the tears now that he couldn't see.

"Remember how I said that what Jason did was his way of coping." She started, trying to keep her voice level, thankful the corridor was deserted. She sucked in a deep breath. "Well…I didn't cope."

Thor's eyes watched the back of her head, frowning. He knew that she was crying, and every fibre of his being was telling him to stride forward and gather her in his arms, to hold her tight and let her sob into his chest until she would spill everything to him. Something held him back. He wasn't sure if it wasn't his own dread: this was a story he didn't want to hear, but one he needed to know regardless. Asking Maria to confront the shadows of her past, after all the things they'd already faced together, was something that tore him apart. He could only imagine what it was doing to the small woman in front of him, hugging her arms around herself, stroking the fringes of the bandage on her arm underneath her shirt.

"I could cope after dad died," she finally went on. "I didn't know what to do. So I took my mother's antidepressants and downed a bottle's worth, hoping it would kill me too."

Thor held his breath.

"It didn't work." A small, humourless chuckle seemed to bounce off the corridor walls. "I spent a week in the hospital when they found me. My heart was in a bad condition for a while after that. I don't know if it was that that helped cause my mother's death in the end, knowing I couldn't take it."

Her voice broke with the last note, and Thor's will snapped with it. He couldn't take it anymore, striding forward and crushing her back to her chest, ignoring the way the wound beneath his armour throbbed slightly as she tipped her head back against him. He nuzzled her neck with his lips tenderly. His heart thronged as Maria's gentle hands gripped hand at his around her middle. Not to pull him away – to anchor him in place. She _needed_ him again, he realised. Thor laced his fingers through hers and clung tight, pressing his mouth softly against where her jaw met her ear.

"I tried to deal with things after mum died and for a while I got by." She went on, closing her eyes against the tears and leaning back into Thor heavily. "Then Jason changed and I really couldn't cope. I hated life too much… so I tried again. I overdosed on painkillers and tried to slit my wrists for good measure. I've still got the scars."

She lifted a hand from him, baring her wrist to him. Thor's eyes scoured over it, catching the unmistakable paler strips of skin that crossed over her veins. His heart ached in his chest and he caught her wrist, holding the scars to his mouth as if he could kiss them away.

"You should not have had to go so far." He murmured against her skin.

"But I did."

Gently, she eased herself out of his arms, still holding on to his fingers and turning to face him. Her eyes glistened, round, begging him to understand. "I didn't want you to know that about me."

Thor felt helpless. He didn't know what to do. Just looking at Maria he was conflicted. She looked so fragile and delicate, her emotions shining from her shimmering orbs, but he didn't know what to do. He wanted to kiss her mouth. To hold her body to him. To move his lips over every part of her that had ever been hurt as if he could seal away the pain, but he didn't know where to start. He wanted to cover every inch of her with his kisses, but he simply didn't know where to start, half afraid that if he started he'd never be able to stop. His chest heaved with indecision.

Maria's eyes glistened at him, waiting anxiously for his reaction. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Thor's mind was made up for him as the small woman stepped into him, laying her head gently on his broad chest and gently wrapping her arms around his waist. She felt as delicate as paper. Thor didn't dare move for a second, trying to collect his thoughts.

Finally, he moved one hand to her back, gently stroking her in a feather light touch. He wasn't sure if she wanted more or not, but Thor didn't trust himself. He pressed his mouth to the crown of her head, and sighed a breath of content as she tightened her hold around him needily. "You need not apologise." He breathed, inhaling her essence as she held herself close to him. Emboldened, his hand moved to the base of her neck, thumb hooking under her chin as he peeled her back slightly. He angled her to meet his gleaming blue eyes, her lips parted slightly. "I just want a promise." Thor spelled out clearly, feeling his heart clench hard. His voice trembled slightly. "Promise me you won't try it again. I couldn't bear it."

He already felt broken just thinking about it. Imagining a life without Maria was incomprehensible…

"I promise." Her eyes gleamed, a small smile flickering at her lips. Her shoulders gave a light shrug. "I'd miss you too much if I did."

"I'm serious." Thor growled.

"So am I. I don't want to lose you."

Thor just stared, eyes delving hungrily over her face to see if she was joking with him. Her eyes stayed firm and resolved, a small but not mocking curve to the corner of her mouth. She meant it...

He tugged her to him hard, throwing his strong arms around her shoulders and hugging her tight, closing eyes and just basking in her. Her gasp hit his ears and he tightened his hold, feeling her hands claw into his back. But not in a bad way. He could feel his need for her growing uncontainable and he leant her back just enough to crash his mouth on hers, devouring her lips with hot, passionate kisses.

XXX

Maria strolled back into the lab with Thor's arm draped over her shoulders. Her eyes glared slightly over Stark - while Thor's were furious enough to make the genius flinch, as the god remindingly tossed Mjolnir in his hand! - and she led Thor to the wall, holding the staring gazes of the rest of the team levelly.

"Everything okay?" Banner asked hesitantly.

Maria glanced up to Thor, folding her arms across her chest. "As long as _he_ remembers his place." The God pointed the hammer in Stark's direction, voice rumbling with dark warning.

"You had no right Stark." Rogers added quietly from the corner.

"Get over it Rogers," Romanov drawled, still perched on the table, speaking for the first time since Maria's arrival. "Don't make this personal."

Rogers glared at the agent. "Stark made this personal for her."

"Just because she's English doesn't mean she's Peggy." Romanov snapped coldly, locking one of the mechanisms of her gun together with a sharp crack that made Maria flinch. "Don't make this personal."

"And if you thought that was bad, Cap, then wait till you hear the rest of it."

Eyes flew back to Stark, temporarily forgotten in the Rogers-Romanov exchange, finding the genius once again trawling through the files on the monitor screen. His blue eyes flickered to Maria, but couldn't hold her frowning gaze for long. Was that worry she caught? Alarm bells rang in her head instantly. "There's nothing else about my past." She said, brow furrowing even more as she scanned through the memories of her life. No, there was nothing else. There were no other incriminating secrets. They knew everything now.

Stark finished tapping and straightened up, finally rolling his eyes back to Maria. They were unreadable. "It's not about your past." He said slowly. "It's about your future."

Maria's lips ghosted open. "I don't understand."

"Speak plainly."

Maria completely ignored Thor's demand and the way his arm stiffened around her, shrugging him of entirely as Stark span the screen to face her. Her gaze eyed it cautiously for a moment before she finally found the courage to move: she wondered forward with slow steps, not sure she really wanted to see exactly what the monitor said about her. Her heart thudded nervously in her chest as she neared it, making out her face in the corner of the screen.

"Loki needs something to kick start the cube. The key." Stark went on as Maria advanced painfully slow. "You father did more than just prepare." he revealed in a dark voice that made Maria's head spin with worry. "He found it."

Maria's eyes flickered to Stark as she closed the gap between her and the monitor, putting off reading the information for just a heartbeat longer. Still, his face was expressionless.

Her eyes rolled back to the screen and scoured over the file.

"It's you."

You could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed, even Romanov pausing in her manipulation of her gun to see Maria's reaction. All gazes flew to the young woman at the screen, eyes gleaming and mouth open in disbelief as she read over her true identity.

"It can't be." Thor said across the room, though it sounded a million miles away to Maria's ears.

Stark ignored him. "You have an energy inside you, not dissimilar to the chest piece I've got in me, only yours is natural, woven into your being. Releasing that energy would unlock the cube." Starks voice seemed to echo tauntingly in Maria's head, feeling her knees tremble beneath her. "Loki was seeking out you, not your father."

"Maria is what he wants?"

Maria flickered her eyes to Stark, her chest starting to heave with panicked breaths.

The genius held her gaze rigidly. "Maria is what he _needs_, Hammer Boy. Without ripping the energy out of Maria, Loki can't use the cube and summon his army." He let out a heavy sigh. "She was his target all along."

A stark icy numbness washed throughout Maria's body and her hand reached out for something – anything! – to lean on. She found nothing and her breaths quickened sharply, the world spinning sickeningly even though she was staggering back straight. _This can't be happening_, she gaped in her head. _This was just a precaution. He can't want me…_

The evidence said otherwise.

"Maria!"

Thor's voice echoed in her head, seconds before the pressure of his hand touched at her elbow. His face span over her field of vision, her chest locking painfully tight. "I can't breathe!"

Her knees finally gave out beneath her and she was vaguely aware of Thor leaning over her his strong arm catching her back. She could see her fingers trembling on his chest, feeling the warmth of his touch as he frantically brushed her hair back from her face.

The last thing she saw before the world went black was his beautiful blue eyes looming in closer, his perfect lips murmuring her name.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Thor was anxious as he stepped into the room that caged his brother, unsure of what he would find. All that time, all those months he'd spend grieving for his lost, dead brother - wasted. Loki had been alive and well all the while, plotting his return. Thor's gut twisted; and that plot involved Maria.

His thoughts temporarily soared to the woman on the other side of the Helicarrier. Her face had looked peaceful enough when he'd left her - albeit a little pale - but he had no doubt that behind those closed eyelids, she was panicking. Thor didn't blame her. To find out that someone like his brother was after her... yeah, he could understand her fear. In all honestly, he would have considered her a fool if she wasn't afraid. Her shock must have wracked her deep for her to have been unconscious for so long. Thor had been reluctant to leave her side, but when she showed no sign of waking any time soon in the room S.H.I.E.L.D had allocated to her, he had other matters he needed to attend to.

He'd never anticipated that Maria would pass out like that. It was simply something that had never crossed his mind. He guessed he had just assumed there was no such news that could shock her like that, not while he was there at her side. He'd never anticipated that his brother would be seeking her out on purpose.

He stepped into the open as the door sealed shut behind him, loosely locking him alone with the God of Mischief. He hardly recognised his brother as the man he knew anymore. Sure he looked the same: leaning against the back of the glass cylinder with his arms folded across his chest and a mischievous smirk across his face, dressed in the same black and green clothes, with the same slick black hair and green eyes. But knowing that he wished harm to someone Thor cared about so deeply, the God of Thunder found it hard to see Loki in the same way.

He wasn't his brother anymore. He was a threat.

Loki's lip smirked even deeper as Thor moved closer. "I knew you would come eventually. You before the others."

"Do not mistake the purpose of my visit." Thor warned, glaring at his brother darkly. His hand clenched and unclenched into a fist, devoid of his hammer. He hadn't trusted himself enough to bring it with him, leaving it back in Maria's room as if the weapon could protect her in his absence. "I have not come here lightly." He waited, expecting his brother to shoot back some sort of snide, cruel remark. He was surprised when Loki stayed silent. He wasn't going to let surprise deter him though. "Give up this plan." He implored boldly. "Surrender the Tesseract and return to Asgard."

Loki barked a laugh. "Let me guess." He grinned, tilting his head back against the reinforced glass. "You wish to save this pathetic world and the mortals that inhabit it from the imminent destruction I will bring?"

"No," _Truth_, Thor decided. He would not sink to his brother level of deception for this, no matter how dangerous honesty might prove to be. "Just one mortal."

That caught Loki's interest: the grin froze on his face as his green eyes locked onto his brothers, as if trying to detect if he was lying or not. Thor's crystal blue gaze stayed hardened with resolve. "You're serious?" His arms dropped to his sides and he stepped smoothly from the wall. "And who is this one treasured mortal, so valued above all the rest?"

"Do not jest with me brother." Thor growled dangerously. "She is the one you hunt to complete your plans."

Loki ceased his advance in the centre of his prison, eyes glinting maliciously. "I believe the humans have brought her to me rather than I seeking her out, have they not? Is she not brought upon this ship? Did father not instruct you to protect her?" His grin darkened. "They are handing her to me on a platter."

Thor's fists clenched. "I am sworn to protect her. I gave her my word I would not let you harm her."

"Then your word will be broken, for I fully intend to take her for myself."

Loki's gaze was calm as he said it. _As if he doesn't care_, Thor thought. _Her life means nothing to him._ He could feel the protective urge rising in his chest and fought to contain it; he had to keep his head around his brother. Even now, stood before him, he had no idea how Loki would react. Would he be cold and serious, or mocking? Either way, Thor was cautious. He knew not to trust Loki too much. His brother lied and tricked as often as he breathed. He could not afford to make a mistake with Maria's life hanging in the balance.

"I will give you one chance." Thor went on. "Give up this scheme or I will have no choice but to join the mortals in their fight against you."

To his dismay, Loki's grin stayed put. "You've fallen for her."

Thor's heart clenched.

"Yes, that's it. You've fallen for her." Loki tipped his head back again and laughed. "The great Thor, mighty God of Thunder, has fallen in love with a mortal!" His head levelled and his gaze returned to Thor's. "You do not learn, do you, brother?"

"I am not your brother." Thor half spat, loathing Loki's taunting. "You stopped being my brother the day you declared war on the world and the people that I love."

"You would side with these frail beings?" Loki's eyes gleamed, as if enjoying himself. "I may never have been your brother – no doubt father told you of my true parentage! – but surely you can accept this race is doomed. They would tear themselves apart. In ruling them, I would save them from their own destruction."

Thor's jaw stayed gritted. He didn't trust himself to speak yet. Listening to his brother's logic, he was reminded of the things he used to say, before he came to Earth; he hadn't been all that different to Loki. He'd thought of the mortals as small and weak, while Asgardians were strong, believing it was their natural right to lord over lesser beings who were all too willing to follow them. It chilled him to think that once, he might have joined Loki in this plot.

His dreading realisation must have shown on his face, for Loki's smirk deepened. _That's what he wants_, Thor suddenly understood, _he means to corrupt my mind._

"I've changed." He said more to himself than to Loki. He tried to think of Maria to keep him focussed. "Please Loki," he implored once more, not wishing to stay here long if Loki was already initiating his mind games. "Return to Asgard."

_Accept_, he willed in his head. _Accept, and leave._ Thor had no wish to fight his brother, and to avoid any form of battle upon this world would be ideal. But as he watched Loki's lips curve into a snide smirk the hope was quickly fading. _So be it,_ he thought. He would defend Maria whatever the cost.

"Tell me, Thor." Loki advanced a smooth step. Not much distance separated the two gods between the glass now. "Is she worth it? This mortal woman who you would pledge yourself to defend, how far would you go to ensure her safety? How much do you care for her?"

"I love her." Thor blurted without hesitation, instantly cursing himself for betraying such information.

Although behind that, something glimmered inside him. His mind hazed slightly as he ran over what he'd just said. He loved Maria. A smile threatened to bloom on his face – temporarily forgetting where he was. He'd never dared say - or even think! – that before, but moment the words slipped his lips, his chest swelling tightly with pride and something else he'd never quite experienced, he knew it was true: he _loved_ Maria. He loved her.

Loki let out another sharp crack of laughter. "You are truly blinded by these mortals for you to forget who you are. You are a god to them, Thor, yet you would settle for one of their women over an Asgardian-"

"I do not settle for anyone." Thor growled, his temper flaring dangerously.

"You stand here in the hope of defending her, declaring your love when all she will do is grow tired and leave you." Loki mocked, swaggering forward till he was almost nose to nose with the glass.

Thor turned sharply, striding back towards the door, having his answer: Loki wasn't giving up. This was war.

"She will abandon you." The God of Mischief went on, calling after him cruelly. "She will forsake you and move on to another of her kind. Just like they all do. Just like _Jane_ did before her. And you will suffer for it because you were stupid enough to care!"

Thor staggered to a stop.

His fists were clenched so hard it hurt, but worse than that was the pain in his chest. He didn't want to hear Loki's words but his legs refused to carry him forward. He tried to cling futilely at his control as Loki's viscous attacks dug deep.

"Maria is different." He gasped, remembering the pain and hurt when Jane had grew tired of waiting for him, and he'd been forced to endure watching her fall into the arms of another. He'd once thought he'd loved her, but his feelings for Jane had been but a fraction of what he now felt for Maria. It was like Maria was the only thing his heart kept beating for. If Maria did as Jane had, Thor wasn't sure he'd be able to bear it. "She is not like that."

"So her name is Maria. Good. At least now I know the name of the woman I am going to kill."

Something inside Thor snapped and he lurched round with a roar, flying at his brother's cage. His fist smacked into the glass with a wincing thud but didn't draw so much as a crack. Thor didn't pull back though, keeping his bloody knuckles grounding into the glass, his eyes glaring into Loki's, inches away from each other through the space of the glass prison's wall.

"She is mortal. They are all like that." Loki sneered cruelly, hissing so his breath fogged the glass over his mouth. "Surely she is beautiful, yes? You always had a weakness for beautiful women. It is legend here that it is the gods that love and leave when they had their fill but in truth it is the other way around."

"You are wrong." Thor snarled. "She cares for me."

"For now."

Thor don't know how long he stared into his brother's cold green orbs, searching for someone he once recognised as family. Now though, all he saw was the hard eyes of a monster. His brother was lost.

Slowly, he peeled his hand away from the prison and stepped back, feeling numb. _Loki was wrong_, he told himself. Maria would never do that. She wouldn't. He loved her; he loved her with all his heart. She wouldn't hurt him like that. _Although_, an unwelcome voice chipped in his head, _there was a time you would have said that about Jane._

Thor's steady pace quickened in his haste to get to the door. It wasn't his anger driving him any more, it was his fear, and there was nothing Loki could say that would turn him back now. Thor half ran from the god behind him. He needed to see her, to see she was safe, to hold her hand and kiss her cheek, to tell her the exact nature of his feelings. He'd left her for too long, he decided frantically. His mind was scattered beyond blind panic, desperate to see Maria's calming face. He couldn't bear these suspicious thoughts clotting his head. He needed her presence, he needed her to lean into his hold and reassure him she was his.

"She can never love you Thor!" Loki called, his voice ringing tauntingly in the God of Thunders ear, even as he tore down the corridor. "She will only destroy you."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Maria thudded the side of her head against the wall, dully eyes staring from the window. Well, it wasn't a window exactly. She'd found a small, secluded spot on the Helicarrier, a tiny little corridor too small to house any rooms even, but it had a number of groves in its walls (perfect for hiding if someone would walk past) and a tall wall of clear glass at the end. The 'window' rose all the way from the floor to the ceiling, and Maria sat with her knees hugged to her chest, staring out at the dark night longingly.

She hadn't been awake long. About three hours ago, maybe four, she'd blinked herself back to consciousness in an unfamiliar room, her body placed delicately on a bed with the sheets tucked in neatly.

That alone had tipped her off about who had done it: Thor. It hadn't been the only sign of his presence though. A chair had been abandoned by the side of her bed, with Thor's unmistakable red cape draped over the back of it. Maria could just imagine him sitting there, holding her hand as he waited for her to wake up.

She'd waited for him too.

She'd hoped he'd come back to see her again, waiting patiently in the bed for his return. She _needed_ to see him again. But after an hour of waiting and staring longingly at the caped chair, she'd finally conceded defeat and had changed for bed.

The shorts and tee were nowhere near as comfortable as one of her oversized night shirt back home – nor Thor's black shirt, which she had grown quite attached to since her hangover – but she didn't have much else to choose from out of the limited chest of drawers S.H.I.E.L.D had supplied her with. The clothes weren't even her size, the tee ridiculously baggy, revealing a generous amount of bra beneath it as it hung from her figure. Or maybe she'd just lost weight. That wasn't all that unfeasible. Having her brother go on a shooting spree, getting shot twice, having the most important person in her life find out she'd tried to kill herself, and finding out that a god essentially wanted her dead to complete his scheme …yeah, pretty stressful stuff. She could be excused for dropping a few pounds.

She must have been out for a long time for night to have swung round again, but the hours of unconsciousness hadn't given her much rest; she'd felt exhausted. _Perhaps that was where Thor had gone_, she wondered, to get some sleep of his own. She wasn't sure how long she'd lain there in the dark room, tossing and turning and praying for sleep, but not getting any respite.

It was torture.

It didn't feel like long before she'd finally slipped from the bed and left, feeling alone and awkward. She'd never sleep in that room, she decided. She wanted to feel like home again. And home wasn't in a cold, fake room like that. It made her feel like a mental patient or something.

Sitting in the corridor now, she didn't want to go back. Thor's cape would be waiting for her, reminding her ever more of the god's absence. She screwed her sleepy eyes shut. She really needed him. Just to hold her and tell her it was okay. Just to _be _there. His presence alone made her feel untouchable, like he was a wall of muscle that could guard her from anything.

She felt empty. Everything was just wrong. She couldn't help but think the only way people would remember her now, thanks to Starks little betrayal, was as the suicidal girl who the God of Thunder Thor had a fling with. Her arms hugged tighter around her knees and she tried to control her thoughts. Getting depressed would only make things worse, no matter how tempting it was. She'd promised Thor, hadn't she? That she wouldn't do anything stupid again, and getting depressed was a serious step towards that dangerous direction.

She ran a hand through her hair and breathed deeply. She'd made a promise. She'd promised Thor that she wouldn't try again. She had to cling on for his sake, no matter how much it hurt.

_Sleep_, she decided, growling inwardly with frustration. She needed sleep – that would drive these thoughts from her mind, if only she could just sleep and forget it all.

She sighed and nuzzled her nose in the crook of her elbow, hugging her knees. Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy.

"Maria."

She was too far gone to react much, too numb with loneliness as Thor's voice breathed from the corridor behind her, quickly followed with the urgent, weighted sound of his footsteps. Maria didn't even open her eyes again until she felt his arms close around her body, his head bowing into her neck and shoulder.

She gasped as Thor's hold almost painfully tightened, pulling her back onto his lap. Her eyes darted open sharply. Her hand clutched over his massive forearm, turning her head as far as she could: he still wore his armour, his cape around his shoulders, even though the hammer was nowhere to be seen. His hot mouth clung to the space where her neck and shoulder melted together. "Are you alright?" he asked, a rough edge to his voice. "I returned to your chambers but you had vanished."

_So that's how he'd got the cape back_, she realised, numbly surrendering to the comfort his somewhat hasty lips brought. "I couldn't sleep."

She felt slightly more self-conscious than normal, knowing that the shorts and tee threw every aspect of her figure out for scrutiny. There was no hiding, unlike under her shirt. If it weren't for her underwear, she would have felt as good as naked.

She shifted uncomfortably, turning her fluttering eyes back ahead to the blackness outside the window.

Thor followed her gaze, blinking through his eyelashes. "It is not the same as in the village, is it? The sky. The stars look different."

"I wouldn't know." She murmured, gaze dulling. "I don't spend much time looking at stars."

"You have different constellations to Asgard."

Maria squirmed in his hold futilely, but Thor's arms just clutched her back tighter against his rock hard chest. _What was going on?_, she wondered silently, a light frown tugging at her brow. There was possessive and then there was this! She pushed it aside, embracing the way her heart thudded back to life under his touch. "Make it rain." She moaned, rolling her head back against his hard, armoured shoulder. "I don't want to see."

Finally Thor's eyes glazed in the window, replacing the sky outside with Maria's dark reflection in the glass, watching her frail form closely. In the night clothes she wore, the bandage on her arm was fully visible, and the fringes of the one on her hip were peeking out from beneath her shorts. He wondered how far they'd healed. He didn't have the heart to tell her that he could barely feel his wounds anymore. How could he tell her that while she was still in pain? _Still_, he thought in his head, it was the pain on the _inside_ he needed to work on, he knew.

His eyes softened, as the urgent burn in his chest started to ease. His mouth slackened against her skin, his gaze drinking in the image of the woman that he couldn't get enough of in the glass's dark reflection.

"Are you cold?" he abruptly asked, noticing goose bumps on the skin of her legs and arms. He didn't wait for a reply as he slid her down hastily from his lap and unslung his cape from his shoulders. He moved round from behind her to her side, leaning forward to wrap it around Maria's tiny body, tucking the thick, warm material in all the right places.

Maria caught his hand in the middle of his task and held him there, her suddenly bright glistening orbs gazing deep into his.

Thor's heart just melted. Maria didn't have to say a word: without hesitation, Thor gently picked her up again and settled himself against the wall on the other side of the corridor, stretching his legs and body out loosely as the last of his armour dissolved. He laid Maria over him, her head on his shirt covered chest, her cape covered legs tangling with his. She crept her hand from beneath the cape to flatten it on his torso and he could feel her other hand clutching at his shirt, as she repositioned her head over his left breast.

Thor wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close, sharing his warmth with her. His heart pounded when Maria fluttered her eyes closed and a small, dreamy smile curved her lips.

"I can hear your heart." She murmured.

_And how it's racing_, Thor added in his mind as he moved his hand to the back of her head. He tried to steady himself down, to take deep, measured breaths to restore an element of his control. With the small woman on top of him like this though, it was near impossible! He wondered how he'd ever managed it back at the cottage. He thudded his head back lightly against the wall and fought to restrain himself.

Suddenly, the pressure of Maria's head on his heart lifted and the warmth on her hand on his cheek took over. He glanced down, instantly meeting her gleaming gaze. "Don't." was all she said.

Her lips were millimetres from his as lightning cracked in the sky outside, rain lashing at the window. Vainly, Thor hoped Maria wouldn't make the connection, but that hope was quickly dashed as a bashful smile brushed her cheeks and brightened her eyes.

"How do you control it?" she asked as thunder rolled, her doe eyes blinking gorgeously.

Thor's heart went into overdrive all over again, his body sensitive to the way hers moulded with his shape above him. "It responds to my instincts and my emotions as well as to my will." He explained, his voice deep and slow. Maria was clouding his mind.

She snuggled her head back into his chest, gazing up at him through her eyelashes. Thor felt her smile as she settled to listen to his heartbeat again.

He tipped his head back against the wall and tried to calm down. It wasn't just Maria that was driving him crazy; fringes of his anger, frustration and fear still clung into his system, fuelling with his passion in a risky mixture. His arm tightened hard at her waist, flattening her mercilessly against him. He heard her groan, whether in satisfaction or pain he couldn't tell, but even that struggled to pull him back to his senses.

He heard Maria gasp, feeling her chest heave fast against his, fighting for breath. "Where did you go?" Her hands clenched hard into his shirt.

He loosened his hold from crushing her body, but his grip at her waist tightened even more, fulfilling his need instead. Her body twitched less than subtly.

"Thor!"

Suddenly, Maria whimpered sharply and her hands pushed back at him, and he knew he'd gone too far. She jerked back out of his arms to shy against the opposite wall, eyes frowning at him, lips parted with a heart-wrenching combination of shock and fear. Her hand rubbed at her bruising waist through Thor's cloak.

Guilt swamped him instantly. "Maria, I'm sorry. I did not mean to hurt you-"

"What is _with_ you?" she cut off, staring at him as if she didn't even know who he was anymore. She didn't know what was bugging him, but it was impossible to miss; the edge in his voice, the power flowing through every fibre of his being as he near squeezed the life out of her! What had happened to him? She tried not to be mad, but it was hard, her already tense emotions and the aching pain at her waist egging it on.

The glistening in Thor's crystal blue eyes melted some of her fury, though. He hadn't _meant_ to hurt her, she realised. Her heart thudded nervously – what could have Thor, the master of discipline, losing control so desperately like that?

His head rolled to the side to stare out the window again, his gaze hardening slightly. Maria didn't miss the way his hands flexed. "I went to speak with my brother." He finally revealed stiffly.

_So that was it_, she breathed a mental sigh of relief. It was just his brother setting him on edge. She didn't know what Loki must have said to him to provoke such a response, to make him need her so bad, but she was glad it wasn't something more serious or permanent. Thor didn't intentionally mean her harm. Her body relaxed and she started to edge closer again.

Then something stopped her, and his words fully sunk in. "What?" she blurted, eyes widening as she scrambled back against the wall. Thor's eyes snapped to her sharply from the window. "He's _here_?"

_Damn_, Thor cursed in his head, clapping a hand to his face. It was only after Maria had passed out that the Stark man had told him of Loki's presence. He'd been intending to keep it from Maria, to avoid such a reaction as was unfolding before him. He leaned forward, reaching out to hold her, but Maria flinch stopped him in his tracks, her head turning away and her eyes screwing shut as if she expected him to strike her.

Thor deeply regretted being so rough earlier; he'd made her afraid of him. Slowly, he eased his hand forward to cup her cheek, gently guiding her back to him. Cautiously, she peeled her eyes open.

"I will not hurt you." He promised, feeling his words tug at his heart strings with their sincerity. "I swear it."

He stared deep into her dark brown orbs, waiting patiently – and fearfully! – for them to soften, for her to know just how much he meant it. His thumb stroked over her cheek, trying to prove he wasn't who he had been before. It felt like a lifetime before she finally breathed out, feeling the heat of it brush his skin, and she relaxed against his touch. A smile of relief flickered over his lips and gathered her up.

"Maria." He sighed, gently running his hand up Maria's back and shifting her body further up his.

Her hand fisted in his shirt again, her lips hovering over his. "What did he say?"

Thor stiffened again, but was careful not to clench around Maria. He pecked his lips over her cheek softly, breathing deep to release any pent up anger. "Nothing of importance." He lied.

Maria leaned into him, loosely draping her arms around his neck and dropping her head to his shoulder. "Tell me."

Thor hesitated, screwing his eyes shut. What could he tell her? What could he tell her that wouldn't upset or scare her? His mind scoured over the visit. "I do not know what to say." He finally confessed. "My brother is resolved in his ways. He will not change his mind." He felt Maria tense against him. His hand rubbed gently over her waist where he'd hurt her and he kissed the side of her neck. _I told him I loved you,_ he added breathlessly in his head, the words sticking in his throat.

He waited patiently for her to say something, but suddenly noticed how heavy her head felt on his shoulder. Thor grinned as he tenderly peeled Maria back from his body and took in her bowed head, the way her tired eyes fluttered against their drooping lids. His hand cupped her cheek and guided it to rest against his chest, a flash of bright lightning illuminating her blissful face.

He leaned forward and kissed her the top of her head. "I think it's time you went to sleep." He smiled into her hair.

Maria only murmured an inaudible reply as Thor's arms tightened more securely around her and he rose to his feet, cradling her against his chest like a child. The cape hung off her body, brushing over the floor. Her hand stayed fisted in his shirt, her head leaning heavily on the other side of his chest. He _really_ didn't mind. The thunder rolled deep with satisfaction outside the Helicarrier, echoing his pride. He strolled her effortlessly back to her room, moving one hand to cup her cheek, his thumb gently stroking her back to consciousness at her door.

"Maria." He murmured. Her eyes fluttered.

A smile stretched over his face as Maria rolled deeper into his chest, clinging on tightly: she wasn't going to let him simply go. He abandoned his attempt to rouse her and opened the door instead, slipping inside and closing it behind them. Everything was just how he'd left it, right down to the angle of the chair.

Thor carried her forward as softly as he could, praying his movements were not too harsh. He glanced down with every step, hoping he didn't wake her. To his relief, her face stayed mercifully oblivious, eyes closed to the world.

Her head rolled as he peeled her back from his body, eyes scrunching slightly at losing him. He laid her down on the bed, peeling the cape back and replacing it tenderly with the sheet, lingering his hands firmly at her waist and her cheek. Her faint struggling ceased as his hot breath ghosted over her face. She even smiled as his warm mouth pressed to her cheek.

"Goodnight Maria." He pecked her lips one last time, then moved to straighten up.

"Wait!"

Maria's hand clenched tighter in his shirt, her sleepy body suddenly jerking up. Her eyes were wide and glistening. Thor frowned, closing his hand over hers at his chest. He moved closer again, his distance obviously causing her distress. Sure enough, she let out a shuddering breath of relief as the heat of his body gleamed over her again.

Her eyes didn't relax though. "Don't go." Her glittering gaze pleading. "Please stay."

The breath caught in Thor's throat. His mind froze, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. She wanted him to … stay? His heart pounded so hard it hurt at that, his lips hovering apart. "You … you wish me to stay the night with you?"

Her eyes fluttered shut, and she nodded. "I'm not staying in this room by myself." She breathed.

Thor still hesitated. "Are you sure?"

Her hand tightened at his shirt. Finally, she blinked her eyes back open and her brown eyes gleamed up at him, tinted with a hard edge. "You started this goddamned thunderstorm and you're just gonna _leave_?"

Something clicked in Thor's mind, something he'd almost forgotten: _of course_, he remembered, _she didn't like thunder_. At least not on her own. Thor had been with her for nearly all the thunderstorms that had occurred since his arrival, half forgetting what reaction it drew from her without his presence.

Staring at her eyes made up his mind for him. That gleam, _begging_ him – she needed him. And he was always there when she needed him. Always. He peeled the sheet back carefully and Maria shifted herself lazily across the bed, giving him room to slip onto the mattress beside her. Maria angled her body onto her side, burying her face into his warm chest as he covered them with the sheet again. Her hand finally relaxed against his shirt, but Thor's tightened around her waist, flattening her body squarely against his.

She groaned softly, and Thor felt her lips move against his shirt. "Mm, I love you." She murmured, basking in his natural warmth.

Those simple words had Thor's will shattering.

The skies erupted.

He surrendered the desires he'd pushed aside and angled Maria's chin upward, crashing his mouth to hers the moment she was in reach. Her squeak of surprise only drove him on. He moved his mouth on hers, hot and hastily, calming the animalistic growl of need rumbling in his chest. It took a minute for Maria to get over the sudden pounce, but when she did her hands were clawing at his shirt all over again, desperate to have him nearer. She tugged him even tighter to her as their mouths devoured each other's.

Maria moaned into his mouth as Thor rolled himself on top of her, resting on his elbows to save her from the full weight of his body. Still, the pressure of him above her like that, body pressing into hers so she could feel every bit of hard muscle against her soft skin, separated by only thin sheets of clothing, made her senses hum in satisfaction. She was very awake now!

Thor rubbed one of his hands round to the back of her neck, tipping her head deeper into the soft pillows. His thumb traced circles into the sensitive parts of her skin, igniting the pressure point below her ear at the juncture of her jaw, and her lips parted in sighing bliss. Thor wasted no time in slipping his tongue into the warm cavern of her mouth, lavishing the way her body writhed lightly beneath him, her moans – so soft they were almost inaudible – humming against his tongue. He grinned against her in content. Her tongue battled lazily with his but was no match for him, quickly and easily overwhelmed by the god. Still, Thor enjoyed the struggle.

Finally, he released her for air and collapsed down to the side of Maria, rolling her over with him till she lay gasping on his chest. A smile flickered at her breathless lips. "God…" she panted, senses still tingling. "You're just full of surprises today, aren't you?"

Thor laughed heartily as he threw an arm around her shoulders, settling satisfied into the bed as Maria snuggled against his chest. He lost himself to the steady throng of her heart on his body, listening for when her breaths slowed and softened, and Maria drifted to sleep in Thor's arms. He wasn't waiting long. Only when he sure she was safely asleep did he dare move her, placing her back on the bed beside him and shifting onto his side, watching her dreaming face with a wistful smile. His arm lay draped lazily over her stomach, as he leaned in and ghosted his lips over her sleeping eyelids.

"I love you, Maria." He breathed against her sleeping form. "I truly do."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Maria woke with a smile on her face. She hummed in content as she stretched her spent but well rested body, reaching her arms over her head, twisting her body this way and that to loosen out her waist

Something stopped her as she suddenly realised just how much space she had to do this.

She frowned: "Thor?"

Silence.

Finally, she peeked her eyes open from their dreamy state and rolled over on her side, hoping to find the sleeping God of Thunder beside her. Her heart sank: the open sheet hanging off the bed was all that greeted her. She slumped in disappointment. She would have thought he'd be there. He often stayed with her until she woke up and after a night like last night… Maria had guessed he simply wouldn't_ want_ to leave.

She rolled over on her back and tried not to be too upset, staring at the ceiling. Where could he be? He normally didn't like leaving her side for anything. What would be so important he wouldn't even wait for her to wake, or rouse her to consciousness himself before he went? Maria tried not to be too suspicious, but it was still firmly on her mind as she tore herself from the bed and pulled on a pair of jeans from the drawers. His hammer and cape were gone too, the chair once at the side of the bed now neatly backed against the wall. It was like he'd never been there at all. _It was just… so odd,_ she thought, tugging a Black Veil Brides band shirt over her head.

She winced slightly as she smoothed the slightly clingy material down her body. Frowning slightly, she peeled the shirt back up her waist as her jaw dropped as she took in the bluing bruises that dotted her skin.

_Damn_, she thought, smoothing her clothes out again, wishing the same could be done as easily to her brow, _Thor's got some grip._ She was just closing the door of the room quietly behind her when she froze.

Thor had been agitated last night; that was why he'd accidentally hurt her. Maria's hand dropped numbly from the door knob to her side as her thoughts raced. _Loki_, she remembered. He'd gone to see his brother and it had upset him. _What if,_ Maria gulped slightly, _what if he'd gone back? _It was the best idea she could think of in terms of where he might be and with every step she took further from her Godless room, the more the thought solidified.

She walked fast, having no clue as to where she was actually taking herself, though her heart thumped nervously in her chest. Was she really considering this? Walking into the room that held a man that was possibly trying to kill her just to see where Thor might be? If Thor _was_ there, it might be even _worse_ actually, she thought. She didn't really want to imagine his temper under whatever taunts his brother had thrown his way. He'd still been aggravated when he'd found Maria in the corridor; she dreaded to think what he must have been like in the chamber itself.

She didn't care. She was scared. She didn't want Thor to be there with _him._ She just didn't. She wanted him here, with her.

Maria was wrenched from her thoughts as she turned a corner and crashed.

"Whoa!"

A strong hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her upright before she could bounce back and drop to the floor in a less than graceful manner. For a second her heart leapt, instantly associating the warmth and largeness of the hands on her arms with Thor's. But then she blinked up, and between she spinning visions of the corridor she caught the blue eyes - not of her god – but of Steve Rogers.

She tried not to look too put out as he released her wrists and she stepped back, still slightly dizzy. She must have hit her head or something, she realised.

"Er… you okay?"

Maria glanced up, realising Rogers had been talking to her. She fixed a less than convincing smile on her face. "Yeah, fine. Sorry." _Let me go_, she willed in her head, legs already twitching in their haste to move on and find Thor.

To her frustration, Rogers and his frown stayed put. "You lost?" he asked. "The lab's just round the corner."

"No." she tried to keep her voice level. "I'm fine. Just…" she searched for the least suspicious thing she could think of. With yesterday's revelation she wouldn't put it past Rogers to think she was searching for some sort of hatch or window to jump from, her suicidal past no doubt fresh in her mind. "Wondering." _Yeah, that'll do_, she thought proudly, lingering on Roger's slightly disbelieving face for just half a second longer before her impatience won over and darted around him.

She could feel his eyes on her back and wished he would just move on. She didn't need a bunch of superheroes on her case. Not now.

Then a sudden truth hit her as her silent wish was granted and Roger's reluctant footsteps hit her ears. She froze, and spun around. "Wait!" He'd already disappeared around the corridor, but her call had him jumping back into view as if he'd been waiting for it. Maria ground her teeth into her lip, praying her gamble would pay off: "Er…" How could she phrase this in the least suspicious way? "Where are they keeping Loki?" her voice was tense and stiff, and she felt as if Rogers could see right through her, knowing exactly what she was thinking. "Just so I know. I don't want to stumble in there by accident, you know." She lied.

_God, it sounded lame_, she cursed in her head, just waiting for Rogers to turn and report her to Fury to have her locked in her room for her own good. She gnawed at her lip even more.

"Er…" _Oh God_, Maria groaned in her head apprehensively as Roger's frown deepened. "Yeah, I guess. He's just down there, second corridor to your right. I think it's the third door on the left."

Maria thought she'd forgotten to breathe as the directions were laid out to her, frozen with shock. He'd told her. He'd _actually_ told her! _… Geez, was he thick or something_, Maria blurted in her head while in reality she fixed very real smile. She couldn't believe she'd gotten away with it!

"Thanks." She breathed, stepped back impatiently, smile still locked in place. One step closer to Thor. "I'll see you later."

She retreated steadily backwards down the corridor, eager to escape now that she had what she wanted. Still she couldn't make it even_ more_ obvious she was up to now good: she waited, smile holding, as Rogers reluctantly nodded and retraced his way around the corner with painfully slow speed. The moment he was gone though, Maria didn't care about who saw her. She turned and bolted as fast as her legs would carry her, following Roger's instructions to the letter – down the corridor, second turning to the right, until she was stood in front of the third door on the left side, breathing heavily.

Her nerves hit back. This looked right: the door had an unusually large gap between it and the ones beside it, implying an unusually large room within. _Large enough to hold a god captive_, Maria thought in her head. She pressed her palm against the futuristic door, no handle or anything, but a single pad on the wall beside it, and breathed. What would she find on the other side? She didn't even know what this Loki looked like!

She pressed her palm to the pad before she could scare herself away, jolting back in nothing but pure surprise when the door admitted her. She stared at the open doorway distrusting: _seriously,_ she thought, taking a tentative step forward, the door sliding shut bluntly behind her, _no restrictions what so ever_? She couldn't deny she'd expected just a little bit of resistance from S.H.I.E.L.D, what with Loki wanting her dead and all.

Her eyes flew ahead as she remembered where she was. Her heart dropped – no Thor.

Just her and a glass cylinder in the centre of the room, within which a dark haired man dressed in well fitting black and green clothes smirked at her. Maria froze where she stood. _Leave,_ her logical voice told her, _Thor's not here. Move on. It's not a good idea to stick around this guy._

It made absolute sense – so why weren't her legs moving?

"Maria, isn't it?" the man – who was obviously Loki – said, a glint in his eyes as he stepped forward. "Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I don't think I am."

Maria tensed even more. She gulped, her throat suddenly impossibly dry as she drank in the god that was after her. How could this guy be Thor's brother? They were so different! Her mind would let her wonder any further that, clouded with slightly panic as she was all too aware of Loki's gaze on her. "How did you know"? She finally squeaked.

_Idiot_, the 'logic' voice scolded in her head. _You just confirmed it!_

Loki's lips curved into a grin. One Maria didn't especially like the look of. "I have yet to come across an agent who dresses so casually upon this vessel."

Maria glanced down at her jeans and band shirt with disbelief before darting her eyes back to her hunter. Even with the cage, she didn't trust him to be let out of her sight. "Where's Thor?" she blurted, the blood pounding in her ears.

"My idiotic brother?" Loki arched a calm eyebrow. "I know not. I have not seen him since last night. Did he not return to you after his visit? I assumed he would."

Maria could understand why Loki was the enemy. Every word that coursed from his mouth dripped with subtle dark intent. He knew! He knew Thor had gone to see her! He was smart – only making Maria more afraid of him. The glint in Loki's eyes told her he knew the answer to his question. He was just messing with her.

It was working.

"He did." She said, words tumbling from her mouth the moment they cropped up unchecked in her head. "What did you say to him?"

Loki's grin widened. "He didn't tell you?" the god tipped his head back and chuckled. "I should have known he wouldn't. I suppose he told you our conversation was trivial, brotherly chat. That it was unimportant. That it had nothing to do with you, yes?"

Maria gulped again. She didn't like how he seemed to know everything like this. "Something like that." She breathed, half terrified.

"Then he lied, for it had _everything_ to do with you."

The breath seemed to freeze in Maria's lungs as Loki's words sunk in, and she raised her gaze to meet his: cold, icy green orbs. Merciless. Deadly. She gulped. Thor had essentially told her nothing last night and she knew he was holding back. But knowing just _how much_ he'd held back, if the whole conversation really had revolved around her…

Then she remembered who she was talking to – she wouldn't put it past Loki to say anything to shake her up. Looking at his solid green eyes though, she didn't think he was lying to her.

Yet.

"Why did you come here?" Loki suddenly asked, drawing Maria's attention again. "Surely you did not come for this idle chat?"

Maria's gaze sharpened on Loki as the god ripped her from her cautious thoughts. Her mouth opened instantly, before she realised she had no answer. "I …I don't know." She finally stuttered. She knew why she'd come here in the first place, but as to why she was still here while Thor was no where to be seen… no, she could not explain that. Every fibre of her was screaming to turn, run and put as much distance between her and Loki as possible.

As it were, she still wasn't going anywhere.

"My brother is greatly fond of you." Loki grinned, stepping up closer to the glass edge. "He was most keen to defend you last night. You must be very proud, to have ensnared a prince of Asgard so resolutely."

"I didn't _ensnare_ him." Maria snapped, eyes narrowing at the word, her fear temporarily pushed aside as Loki mocked her. Her and Thor. It felt like she was talking with Stark again for a moment. "He makes his own choices."

Loki chuckled, undeterred by her sharpness. "I see you are just as temperamental as he is."

Maria kept her mouth shut, trying to ignore the swell in her chest. She wasn't even sure what she was feeling: was it fear, anger, defensiveness, or some mixture of all three? She couldn't tell, and she was half glad of it. She didn't want to give Loki anything solid to manipulate her with. She just tried to keep her eyes hard and unreadable as she waited for Loki to play his next card.

"What do you think Thor said of his feelings towards you?" Loki's eyes gleamed, obviously enjoying himself.

Maria's gut twisted nervously. "I don't know."

"You _don't_ know or you're _afraid _to know?" Maria kept silent, confirming the latter. Loki threw his head back and laughed. "Then you are truly made for each other if you are both so afraid of rejection! Yes-" Loki cut Maria off as she opened her mouth to protest, speaking quickly: "Thor_ is_ afraid of rejection else he would have told you of his true feelings last night, would he not? Yet he returns to your side and lies rather than reveal the true depths of his emotions to you."

She tried not to listen to him. She didn't know what was truth or lie. The things Loki said would have her crying in anguish and leaping for joy at the same time if she knew them to be true, but she knew better than to succumb to his word so mindlessly.

"What do you want from me?"

"What do_ I_ want?" Loki's smirk glimmered. "I wanted only to see your face so I could have a clearer picture in mind as to who it is I intend to kill. And what a pretty picture it is."

Maria's heart clenched as her fear won the battle against her other emotions, dominating shamelessly as it gleamed from her quickly widening eyes. Her knees felt weak: knowing someone wanted you dead was one thing, but hearing it from their mouth while they looked calmly into you eyes as they said it… that was something else entirely.

"I do not know what this organisation has told you about my intentions but I can assure you," Loki went on before Maria could catch her hitching breath. "I do plan to kill you, and I do not plan on being subtle about it."

Maria's heart was hammering in her chest as the words thundered in her head, Loki's final slow, tantalising steps up to the glass echoing in her ears.

"I _intend_ to take you for myself." He sneered in a low, dangerous voice, eyes swirling with malice. Maria fought the gasp that lodged in her throat as her body started to tremble. "I _intend_ to use you for my own devices."

Maria found herself staggering back at last, still hooked on the gods green eyes though, unable to tear herself away. Her head shook from side to side, tears of plain fear gathering in her wide, terrified gaze.

"I am going to draw the energy needed from every cell of your body. _Slowly…"_

Maria whimpered.

"_Painfully_ …"

Loki's eyes glimmered, a deadly, sick smile curving his lips as he watched the woman's control break as the tears broke through their barriers.

"Every particle of your being burning like fire as it tears away from your soul, until you are begging me for death." His fists thudded into the glass, making Maria jump with a yelp. "And know this, mortal – your beloved Thor can do _nothing_ to stop it."

Maria's back suddenly thudded hard into the uneven surface of the door though she felt too numb and too riveted on the God to turn and open it. Her eyes shone with uncontained panic, tears slipping thick, fast, and stealthily down her cheeks. It was his eyes – his merciless eyes would haunt her until her dying day. "Y-you're a monster!" She gasped breathlessly.

Loki flashed her a bright, toothy grin, dark gaze burning into hers. "Then it is the eyes of a monster that will be the last thing you see before I rip out your heart."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"Where is she?" Thor demanded, striding into the lab with Mjolnir clutched tightly in his hand, his voice echoing like the thunder he controlled.

Maria was gone.

He'd returned to her room, expecting to find her there, either still asleep or waiting for him – it'd been neither, the room completely empty of human presence. At that point, he hadn't been that bothered, still certain he'd find her. The bed had been made and her folded night clothes on the pillow told him she had been well enough to rise and dress of her own accord, that no foul play had contributed to her absence.

He'd checked his room next, in case she'd gone searching for him. Nothing. Running on the same 'Maria might be looking for him' string had led him to the training facilities next, then the meeting rooms, then the front control centre of the vessel.

Nothing.

Maria had been nowhere to be found.

Then Thor had started getting anxious, knowing full well he should have found her by then, if not just glimpsing her from his long stalking of the corridors.

The lab had been his last hope before he'd surrendered to his absolute irritation, Marias significant lack of presence playing on his impatient temper. He wasn't mad at Maria herself, he was simply mad. Perhaps he still had Loki's taunts echoing in his mind: _she will abandon you_, his brother had said. It hadn't even been a day and yet his brothers words were starting to look painfully accurate. He'd just been cursing S.H.I.E.L.D's ludicrous lack of security, thinking they ought to keep better track of someone as vital as Maria was, when he strode into the Maria-less laboratory of superheroes, teeth gritted with enraged frustration.

All eyes flew to Stark instantly, knowing that he was the only one brave - or stupid - enough not to even remotely fear the God in this agitated, hammer wielding state. "Alright Thunder Boy." Stark calmly greeted, his face retaining a stiff blankness that Thor only found more infuriating. "Quite the storm last night. Sounded like someone got a little something in the bedroom-"

Thor closed the gap in a few short strides, almost nose to nose with Stark as he glared at the genius. "My patience is already on a tether, mortal. I am in no mood for your games." He growled. "Where is Maria?"

Stark ran his eyes up and down the god's dangerous form, Thor noted, _uncaringly_. "How should I know?" he shrugged. "You're the one who bedded her, not me. Sure you didn't bolt her back down to Earth, or teleport her off to some alien world or something?"

Mjolnir instinctively rose a few inches before Thor stopped himself, the muscles in his arm trembling from the effort. He clamped his jaw down tightly, not trusting himself to speak yet as he collected his thoughts, trying to scrape back some of his rationality. He was a lot better at that when Maria was around to help him.

Finally, he shuddered out a relatively anger-free breath. Well, anger-free enough not to have hit Stark yet.

"I have warned you before about speaking so disrespectfully about Maria, and do not like having to repeat myself." He half snarled at Stark, clinging to his patience. "Secondly, what occurs between Maria and myself in private is none of your concern and I do not appreciate you talking about her in such a lowly, degrading form. _Thirdly_," his hand was trembling again. "Tell me where she is or I shall destroy every last one of these monitors until you do."

That caught Stark's attention.

"I don't know!" he blurted with slightly wide eyes, casting aside his sarcasm for the first time now that his precious technology had been threatened. His arm threw to the side, pointing to the wall. "I saw her running that way but I don't know where she was going!"

"She was asking about Loki." Rogers cut in quickly, as Thor's hammer rose in the air. He may not like the genius but he had to admit that Stark getting his face bashed in would be detrimental to progress on locating the Tesseract.

Thor froze, shooting his gaze to the Captain. "What?"

Rogers fought the urge to stumble back, the god's gaze like daggers. "She asked me where he was being kept, but she said it was so she could avoid him." He explained quickly as Thor took a step away from Stark, fearing himself to be the next target.

He needn't have worried: Thor's anger seemed to drain from him as quickly as the colour did from his face. His eyes were suddenly wide. "And you told her?" A remaining stab of anger shot through his crystal blue orbs, but it was quickly drowned out with glistening blind concern before his body could react to it. Dread flooded through his system icily.

Maria had gone to see Loki.

That was all he needed to know; Thor ran from the room with everything he had, tearing down the corridors, ignorant of anyone in his path. His mind was clotted with panic. Never mind the fact that Loki was a pure danger to Maria, but what would he _tell _her? Thor would have been much more careful with his words had he known that barely a day after he'd revealed them, as much to himself as to Loki, they might be repeated to Maria. It wasn't that he never wanted her to know his feelings... just not yet. And most certainly not like this.

His hand half ground the security panel into the wall in his haste to get inside the chamber that concealed his brother. Finally the door slid open - and Maria collapsed back into his arms.

Mjolnir hit the floor instantly.

"Maria!" The God only had senses for the woman that trembled violently in his arms, eyes wide and fearfully staring still within the chamber. Thor followed her panicked, whimpering gaze; Loki was on the end of it. He glared across the chamber at his trickster of a brother, fingers gently scooping back Maria's hair from her face, clinging slightly with the thin sheen of sweat that coated her skin. "What did you do to her?" Thor growled deadlily as he sunk down to his knees, crouching with Maria's shoulders convulsing over his thigh.

Loki merely smirked, eyes glinting a vicious shade even from the distance between them. "I did nothing but tell her the truth."

Thor's venomous glare could cut through the particles in the air but Loki didn't even blink, the God of Mischief immune to the harshness he regularly dished out. Thor didn't care. He really didn't anymore; he was much more concerned with Maria and the way she didn't seem to recognise anyone and anything other than Loki, across the room in his transparent prison. He slid her body back along the floor, and the door hissed shut, breaking the connection.

Strangled sobs started to break from her lips as her body squirmed. Thor's hands found the sides of her face, holding it firmly still as the rest of her panicked, forcing her to look into his eyes. He watched his crystal blue orbs slowly ease the overwhelming fear that consumed her, staring patiently until something inside her connected with him and her eyes slowly swirled back into a solid brown. A few more harsh, ragged breaths tore at her chest before they started to steady. Thor waited patiently, one hand cupping her cheek while the other rested under the small of her back, supporting her still slightly trembling body as she started to curl into his. It felt like a lifetime before the tension finally melted from her muscles and she slumped against him, burying her tear streaked face into his chest.

Gently, Thor eased her further up his body till her trembling lips were before his instead of against his breast-plate. "Maria." He breathed, leaning his forehead against hers, completely ignoring the agents that pooled around them, concerns arisen by the state of the figure hauled from the prisoner's chamber.

"H-he's going to kill me, Thor." Maria's unnervingly shaky voice shuddered. "I'm really going to die. He's going to kill me – I – I can't stop it. Oh God…"

Thor watched with growing concern as Maria's eyes started to cloud again, succumbing back to the senselessness of panic.

His hand at her cheek firmed. "Maria, look at me." He ordered, trying to balance his tone between gentle and commanding. It worked well enough to swirl Maria's fear widened eyes back to his. "I won't let that happen. I would rather die than let him hurt you. He's locked away. He cannot escape. You are safe."

"He'll get out." She breathed back instantly. "He's too good. He'll get out and he'll come and kill me." The tears started to pool. "He said it himself! He wants me dead-"

Thor pushed his mouth hard against hers before her quivering lip could escalate into something more potent. He stood quickly and strode fast from the corridor, eager to have the attention of the agents directed elsewhere: the last thing Maria needed right now was an audience. Thor carried her straight to where he knew his room to be even though he hadn't so much as stepped inside of it once. The only night so far on the vessel had been spent in Maria's, with his arms folded over her gentle body as they'd slept together. He half wished they'd never woken up. He kicked the door shut and settled Maria down on the untouched sheets of his bed, crouching down on one knee beside it so they were as good as eye level.

Maria hiccupped back the last of her tears as Thor slowly pulled back his lips, thumb stroking soothingly into her cheek bone.

Her eyes glistened into his. "I'm scared." Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

Thor smoothly angled her head down slightly and placed tender kisses where her tears had fallen, feeling the roughness of her skin beneath his lips. Her eyes screwed shut, fighting a fresh wave of anguish. He kissed her eyelids until they eased.

"As am I." he finally confessed, his chest tightening. "Nothing terrifies me more than the thought of losing you."

"I can't do this." Maria's body gave a noticeable shudder against his. "I can't just wait for him to kill me. I can't. I'll go mad." Her hands trailed up between them and she dropped her face to her palms. "I can't do this, Thor! You should've just let Jason shoot me when he had the chance."

Thor's hand shot to her wrist, tugging at down with as much gentleness as he could muster with the fire coursing through his blood. He fought the urge to grit his teeth at the memory of the shooting. "Don't say such things." He growled, crushing his mouth to hers to settle his raging heart. He hated thinking of Maria's brother and all the pain she had suffered under his hand. "I could not bear it if anything happened to you."

"You won't have a choice." She gasped, as he released her mouth for air. "Loki's going to kill me and you can't stop him. No one can. A bullet would have been so much quicker than what he's gonna do to me. So much easier."

Thor felt his control slipping. Didn't she know how deep such mere thoughts cut into him? He loathed to think of so much as a bruise blemishing her perfect form – painfully aware of those he'd inflicted himself the night before. To hear her talking so rationally – so longingly – about her death like she did… it simply tore him apart. He didn't even want to think about what that would do to him if she were no longer there. No more slender body to hold. No more soft lips to kiss as he pleased. No more of her womanly spirit to wrestle wills with in a battle of stubbornness. No… his life would seem empty without her. In just a short month, she had become his everything.

Finally, he pulled her hands back to her sides and replaced them on her cheeks with his, pulling her nearer to him till their lips were a hairs-breath away from each other's. He couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Listen to me." He sighed, breathing in the air that left her lips. Her eyes fluttered, as if she wanted to look away. _No_, Thor growled in his chest, her would not let her go until she heard him out. "Whatever happens, I'm with you. I will never leave you alone, whether it be in life or death. I will gladly follow. I love you too much to let you go."

He flickered his gaze firmly upwards as he heard the breath hitch in her chest: Maria's glowing brown eyes gleamed at him. Thor found it the most endearing thing he'd ever seen, her soft orbs a slick combination of hope, disbelief and fear. He could practically hear the 'did I hear that right?' that he knew to be racing through her mind. His lips flickered into the most loving smile he'd ever worn as he pressed his lips tenderly against Maria's slightly gaping mouth. He'd gladly say it again. He'd happily set her mind at rest that she had heard him correctly if it meant he could declare his love for the wonderful woman in front of him all over again.

He held her eyes easily, brimming with pure adoration. The easiest smile he'd ever worn spread across his lips. "I love you Maria Sorin. And that is never going to change."

Thor watched happily the slideshow of emotions that flickered through Maria's eyes, heart thudding eagerly in his chest as a glittering glow eventually gleamed from her brown orbs. The corners of her lips flickered up in a grin. Thor didn't dare say anything, not wanting to ruin the moment for the world.

He was glad he hadn't; no sooner had Maria's smile grown to mirror his than she threw herself at him, arms flung around his neck as she crashed her mouth on his. Thor fell back hard against the floor, caught so off guard, but he was _so_ not complaining as Maria kissed him hard and urgently, his hand resting at the small of her back to hold her there. He didn't think he'd ever manage to let her go, grinning against her mouth, the kiss sending his heart rate sky rocketing.

Then the explosion ripped through the Helicarrier and tore them apart.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Maria could hear herself screaming but she had no idea how on Earth to stop it. It was like her body didn't belong to her anymore. As if the blast had knocked her consciousness somewhere far, far away from the Helicarrier.

Dully, her eyes flickered around her. She was sprawled out on the floor of Thor's bedroom, while the god in question picked himself up from across the room. Her eyes rolled to the wall opposite Thor: it'd been blown completely inwards, spraying the room with metal and glass she knew must have come from the rooms between them and the explosion. They'd been lucky.

Still, she was screaming.

She glanced down at her body and her blood turned to ice as her fingers touched moisture. She clawed at her shirt frantically, the breath hitching in her throat as she scoured over her abdomen, scratched with too many little cuts to count from the splinters of wood and other such debris that had been sprayed into her.

Within seconds, Thor's bright blue eyes swamped her vision, his hand at the sides of her head holding her steady. His mouth moved but Maria couldn't hear what he was saying. The ringing in her ears was impenetrable.

Sense started to form in her head as her vision cleared slightly and she could feel her throat was hoarse. Had she stopped screaming yet? Her hands were still spread wide, her blood soaked palms hovering over her stomach. They were shaking. _The blood_, her had swayed slightly. Like when she got shot. She couldn't feel the pain yet, the shock numbing her feeling, but she knew it must exist, lurking in the back of her mind waiting to attack.

Suddenly, she wasn't against the wall anymore: her body was upright, her legs were running, her hand engulfed in Thor's as he led her through the chaos filled corridors to God only knew where. She didn't have the will to fight anything. She didn't remember even standing up, hardly daring to imagine how she'd have the strength to, but she had no time to wonder - the Helicarrier was under attack.

She had no doubt she was whimpering. It was a miracle, she thought, that she was even moving at all.

The only thing that made sense, as the pair raced through the corridors flurrying with armed officers moving this way and that, was the thoughts in her own head. Her panicking body didn't listen to any of them.

Her hearing span back into affect and blaring sirens and shouts engulfed her. She wanted to stop, to clamped her hands over her ears against the noise and just pretend like none of this was happening. Her knee's buckled and her hand slipped from Thor's as she fell.

_This was it_, she thought to herself numbly as her head hit the floor. Attackers would be on Loki's side. And if that was the case, they'd be coming after her next.

"Maria!"

All she did was blink as she felt Thor's strong arms lift her up from the floor, holding her close as he propelled them through the crowds once more. She didn't have the will to do anything. She was going to die. The thought numbed her to her very core.

She blinked slightly back to awareness slightly as Thor barged open a familiar door and spilled them into the lab - just as Stark and Roger's spilled out. Her mouth gaped at the ragged hole in the floor as Thor set her down on a table edge. She clung to it for dear life, hands trembling.

"I fear Banner has lost control." Thor growled darkly as he glanced down the chasm before returning swiftly to Maria. He clasped her face in his hands and held her still as he pressed her mouth to his in a brief, but bruising, kiss. "Maria, listen to me." he urged, frantically scraping her hair back from her pale, dirty covered face. "You are injured and it will hurt, and I am sorry but there is nothing I can do for you at this moment. I must go and help the others. Stay here, unless someone else comes in. If they do, no matter who it is - run. Do not stop running until you see me again, and I -" he fumbled slightly with his armour before pulling out a slightly crumpled red rose. "-show you this." his eyes glittered. "Do you understand?"

Maria's mouth opened numbly as tears carved tracks through the dirt in her face and gun shots sounded. "Where did you get that?" was all she could gasp.

A small smile broke through Thor's urgent demeanour, though his brow stayed lowered with intensity. "I brought it for you. The others are in the cemetery over your mother and father's graves." he breathed hurriedly. "It's Sunday."

The tears fell even thicker as Thor accounted for his morning absence and Maria buried her face in her hands.

"Maria." Thor's hand cupped her cheek and guided her back to him. "Do not stop until you see this." he held up the rose. "Loki is the master of trickery. If he breaks free he may disguise himself as anyone he wishes in order to trick you into going with him, even me. This will mark me out as not a decoy. Loki will not know it exists and you will be able to differentiate between me and an imposter. Now promise me," his eyes gleamed imploringly, begging her so hard it tugged at her soul. "Promise me you will do as I say."

Maria's jaw seemed to bob for a few moment's before words finally choked out. Her hand gripped at Thor's wrist holding his hand to her face. "Thor," she gulped weakly. "I'm sorry I-"

"Don't." he growled, his hand tightened on her cheek, making Maria tip her head back. His mouth breathed urgently over hers as she gasped, his hot breath pooling between her lips. "Don't you dare say your goodbyes Maria. I won't let you." He crashed his mouth to hers before she could say another word. He pulled away breathless. "I will aid the others then I will return for you."

Maria couldn't fight her lip quivering uncontrollably, fisting her hand in Thor's hair, the only part she could cling to with his armour coating his shirt. She pulled herself closer to him, until their bodies were flush against each other, her knees hanging off the table either side of Thor's hips. Her mouth hovered over Thor's her eyes staring deep into his. "I love you." was all she could choke out in the end, touching her forehead with his. "Whatever happens, I love you."

"And I love you." Thor moved his mouth feverishly against Maria's lapping up as much of her as he could while he had the chance. It _hurt_ to pull himself away, but he knew he had to stop Banner. Stark and Rogers had been shouting about the engine, leaving only Agent Romanov to deal with the monster. He knew she didn't stand a chance. He was the only hope to prevent the Helicarrier from being destroyed. And then he would have to find Loki... "Just run. It will hurt but you mustn't stop. Not for anything. Just keep running until I find you again."

She nodded frantically, breathing in the scent of him one last time. Her eyes fluttered, not sure whether they wanted to stay open or to close, unsure if she could bear watching Thor leave.

In the end, she did neither: they were still fluttered half open as Thor was suddenly gone, and Maria's hands were left clutching nothing but thin air.

She screwed her eyes shut - against the blasts, the explosions, the shouts, the gun shots - and buried her face in her hands.

XXX

Maria wasn't sure how long it took her to build up the courage to peel herself from the table but it felt like a lifetime. She crept down as if the room was silent, eyes bearing into every inch of the deserted room.

Then Mjolnir crashed through the wall behind her, missing her by millimetres as she dropped to the floor, flinging her arms over her head protectively. A second crash - almost instantly following the first - announced the departure of the magic hammer and Maria shuddered a terrified breath. Her head lifted, eyes wide. He needed his hammer. She prayed it didn't mean that he was in trouble. The thought of Thor getting hurt, or worse... she was whimpering as she picked herself upright at last.

Her knees were trembling and she ran her fingers through her hair. She couldn't just sit here! Thor might be in serious danger and he expected her to just sit here? More tears spilled down her cheeks in blind fear. She wasn't special; she had no magic hammer, or impenetrable armour, or rock hard shield to protect her. She was just human.

Her eyes flickered to the door, half wanting to just run to prove she still had the strength to. She couldn't bear just waiting her, waiting for someone to walk in and try to kill her.

Then bullets sprayed up from the hole in the ground and her mind was made up for her.

She bolted out the door.

Her eyes were wide as her body obeyed Thor's most basic instruction - run. And boy did she go! The corridors all blurred into one as she ran for her life, running from the bullets, from any humanoid shape that materialised into existence. She was moving on pure instinct. For the way her mind had been so stuck earlier she was startled by how clear it was now. Snap second thoughts. Monosyllabic words. Sharp, short, swift.

She had no clue where she was going to, and she guessed that was a bad thing, but she didn't trust herself to stop. The only places she knew on the vessel were around the blast sight, where all the danger lay. She couldn't go back.

Maria glanced over her shoulder as the gun fire suddenly dulled, as if a soundproof wall had been placed between her and the chaos. She skipped to a stop, arms braced to the sides, eyes wide and scouring. Her heart thudded boldly in her chest, so loud she was sure it would give her away. This quiet was impossible;_ he _was here.

A breath shuddered from between her lips as she backed off back the way she came with tentative steps. Yes, she thought to herself, feeling chills race up her spine alerting her that she was not alone - Loki was definitely here! He was the master of magic, her mind told her, recapping what Thor had told her. He could come out from anywhere, look like anyone. She eyed the walls themselves distrustingly. She couldn't let him get her. Once she knew his bearings - run the other way. His blood chilling promise was still fresh in her head.

Maria turned behind her - then a flash of movement over her shoulder caught her attention and she span round.

The breath died in her throat as she came face to face with the demon himself.

Her heart stopped in her chest as she came nose to nose with the god that promised her death, bumping lightly into his chest from the momentum of her turn. She staggered back instantly.

She didn't give herself time to panic before fleeing from Loki, running with everything her body had. Thor had been right; it hurt. Her body felt like it was burning, like her torso was slowly ebing torn in half. The pain had her gritting her teeth, keeping her mind mercifully clear from going into blind hysteria. Pain is better than dead, she told herself, skidding round a corner.

Suddenly, Loki was in front of her again.

Maria's mind flashed just a second before she collided with him. She jerked away instinctively, but a vice like grip closed aroud her arm and she knew she was caught, pulling her in to his as if her struggles were nothing. The breath ripped through her throat as her control was shredded, her mouth already whimpering.

Loki jerked her arm hard so her back thudded against his chest and he locked an arm around her waist, pinning her in place. She wasn't going anywhere. Her body was almost too overcome with trembling to put up a fight anymore.

Tears sprung instantly to Maria's screwed eyes, fighting desperately to avoid thinking of what she knew must be inevitably coming.

It was like Loki could read her mind: "Not yet." he crooned softly in her ear making her shiver violently. "There is something I mean to show you first."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Thor gasped for breath as he watched the green monster of Banner spiral to the ground, Mjolnir clutched firmly in his hand. He could feel his body calling for rest, longing to stop and reflect, but he had no time and he knew it. He had to ensure Loki was still trapped and Maria was safe.

He flew to Loki's chamber, darting through the suddenly deserted corridors. That worried him; that worried him a lot.

He was even more concerned when he found the door to the chamber already wide open. He paused in the doorway for half a second as he stared inside. His eyes widened.

"NO!"

Thor threw himself at his brother as Loki stepped through the open door of the glass prison - and fell straight through him. His shoulder crashed into the floor of the cylinder and his heart stopped as he heard the electronic hiss of the door shutting behind him.

He was up in a second.

"Will you ever not fall for that?"

Loki's mocking voice chilled Thor's blood as he caught sight of his brother's pale face from the shadows, a satisfied smirk on his lips. It was the fact that he was not alone that had him fearful though. Numbness washed over his body and he had to fight to cling to his grip on Mjolnir as his brother strode casually forward into the open, pulling his captive forward by the wrist.

Maria's wide, glistening eyes gleamed at his. Her face was crumpled, tears streaming tracks through the dirt on her face. "Thor." she whimpered pleadingly.

Thor's heart bled; there was nothing he could do. He was torn between ice cold dread and a burning hot rage at his brother, each one nipping at his senses with painful speed and accuracy before the other would rise to dominate. His chest felt like it was caving in when he focussed on Maria's distraught face.

Then his gaze widened, taking in Maria's trembling form under Loki's vice-like grip on her arm, holding her wrist eye level as he harshly guided her forward with him. Thor's teeth gritted with animalistic fury.

He let out a roar as he swung Mjolnir back, slamming the hammer with all his might into the face of the glass. He had to break free, was all he was thinking of. He _had _to break free to help Maria, to get Loki away from her. He would not surrender her to his brother's mercy - Thor knew he had none. His heart quivered in his chest, a crippling combination of fear and frustration: Mjolnir thudded into the glass. Not _through_ it. For a moment all he could do was stare at the cracks that crept out from around the hammer's head, mystified as to how the structure was still intact. He peeled Mjolnir from the glass and let it hang at his side.

His gaze glowered back to Loki. "Loki, let her go." he growled darkly, trying not to look at Maria. He was sure it would break him.

Loki's smirk flickered back into place. "I cannot. I need her. And you practically handed her over to me by bringing her here. You brought her to her own destruction."

Thor barely had time to breathe as Loki suddenly tugged Maria to him by her wrist, her back thudding into his chest. His arm secured itself under her chin instantly, a firm pressure on her throat. Maria gasped, her trembling hands clawing at Loki's forearm desperately, panic clouding her sky-angled eyes.

"Maria!" Thor's eyes widened, momentarily not caring if his brother saw him as weak for how much he cared.

"Her death will be on your conscience." Loki hissed at him, drawing back Thor's attention. "When I kill her I want her to know that it was you who delivered her fate to her. So that your betrayal is the last thing that goes through her mind before she dies."

Thor's quickening breaths started to rasp.

He wasn't the only one - a strangled cry left Maria's numb lips, her grip on Loki's forearms weakening as he choked her. Her knees buckled, until it was only Loki's arm around her neck that kept her upright.

"No!" Thor's fist thudded into the glass, eyes glistening painfully. He didn't care any more. "Loki, let her go!"

"I hope you built up the courage to tell her your secret in the end." his brother sneered. "You may not get another chance."

"Maria..."

Thor watched, palm helplessly presses against the glass as Loki slowly choked the life from her. And there was nothing he could do. There was no anger, no strength, no fury - only numbness, weakness, helplessness, knowing he was trapped and there was nothing he could do to help her.

He could not lose her. Maria couldn't die - Thor didn't even know how he would process that. He simply wasn't prepared to live without her. But the unfolding scene before him reminded him he might not have a choice.

His knees trembled threateningly at the thought.

"Stop!" he half begged, heart feeling like it had been ripped from his chest. "Leave her be, Loki! Stop this now!" His hand on the glass was the only thing keeping him upright.

Then Loki suddenly disappeared from behind the young woman and she collapsed in a heap on the floor, small body convulsing lightly as it hauled in urgent breaths of oxygen. Her face was hidden by her splayed hair.

Thor sunk to his knees also. "Maria." he gasped.

"She will die." Loki assured heartlessly from his materialised position near the monitor, a good - but by no means safe - few paces behind Maria. "But not yet. Not until I say."

Weakly, Maria's head peeled up from the floor, her fingers numbly reaching out for him. She met only glass. "Thor." she panted, more out of relief than any sort of panic. Her eyes were gleaming when they met his, and he was surprised to see them as calm as they were.

It stopped his frantic heart for a second.

His fingers moved to match hers on the glass when suddenly Loki was behind her again, pulling her up by her hair.

Thor leapt to his feet the minute Maria's cry of pain hit his ears.

"Did you tell her?" Loki smirked over his fist clenching in Maria's locks, her head tipped back so far it looked like it was breaking her neck. Her mouth hung open in a silent gasping scream, her eyes screwed shut against the pain shooting from her scalp. "Tell her what you told me. I want to hear you say it as you bid her goodbye."

"She knows." Thor growled darkly, feeling his instincts take over again.

"Tell her again!"

Loki tugged hard on Maria's hair for good measure, earning a whimper from her lips. "Thor!" she gasped, chest heaving for breaths.

Loki's eyes glinted in sick amusement: "Or do I have to hurt her some more?"

Maria's back arched, hands clawing at thin air, knowing there was no damage they could do. Blood stained the front of her band shirt, seeping from her wounds with more vigour as her body stretched them open again. That, combined with the agony that contorted Maria's face, broke something inside Thor.

"Maria, I love you." spilled instantly from his lips, his bravado dropping instantly at his brother's all too real threat sank in. "It'll be okay. I'll make it okay." His words had no effect on Maria, almost as if she didn't hear them. It didn't matter if she could. Thor didn't think she'd believe them when even doubted them himself! Maybe he was just trying to comfort himself as much as he was her. "I love you more than anything."

A satisfied smirk spread over Loki's lips.

"The humans think us immortal." he said, releasing Maria so she dropped to all fours, and moved with tantalizing steps back to the monitor.

Thor only had eyes for Maria, relieved when she lifted her head and met her eyes with his. She was breathing hard, pain still forking in her glistening brown orbs, but they seemed just as determined as his were to stay strong.

Maria seemed to have better control than Thor at that moment. He felt like he wanted to drop to his knees. He wanted to weep. He wanted to spill the contents of his heart to her so she knew exactly how he felt, exactly how he'd ever felt. But he couldn't. He just couldn't. His gaze was locked on her fragile, abused form, watching her suffer at his brother's hand while he was helpless to intervene. He just wanted to touch her, to feel the warmth of her body and know that he wasn't too late yet.

"Thor." Maria gasped between breaths, a small smile flickering at her lips.

Thor had to admire her control; her eyes were bright but solid now, the fear kept at bay by the harshness of the pain. Even that she tried to mask.

He fought to get a grip on himself. It should be the other way around he thought, that she be scared and it be his controlled orbs that comforted her, even when there was next to no hope. He blinked some hard resolve back into his gaze, twining his desperation with a sheer determination until his eyes gleamed with the same intensity as Maria's.

Her impeccable mask was broken with a twinge of agony, a hand flying to her bloodied shirt. "Uhn!"

"Maria." Thor's palm ground into the glass. What he'd give to touch her, to hold her - even if he could just hold her hand! Just some form of contact to try and comfort the woman that kept his heart beating.

He longed for her to say something back, but her quickened rasps were all he got. Her teeth gritted and a thin sheet of sweat glimmered over her skin.

Thor wished he'd never left her. Damn Banner, damn the vessel - Maria was his mission and he'd left her. If only he hadn't. If only he'd stayed to defend her. Or better - take her away. Far away so they wouldn't be found and they could live together in peace. Thor didn't care about his brother or S.H.I.E.L.D.

He only cared about her.

"Shall we test that?"

Loki's words cut through Thor's thoughts and his attention was pulled up sharply from the wounded mortal on the other side of the glass. What? What had Loki said?

Alarm bells rang loudly in his head as he drank in his brother's hand over the monitor. When Maria shot her eyes to Loki over her shoulder though, casting aside her pain for a heart stopping second, Thor knew it was something to be really concerned about.

He jumped to his feet, Mjolnir in hand.

Just in time for Loki's finger to tap something on the monitor and the contraption around Thor to whirl to life.

A frown furrowed his brow as he examined the cage that trapped him with a thumping heart - something felt wrong. Very wrong. And the way Maria's wide, fearful eyes rolled back to him did nothing to help his twisting gut. What was happening? The technological noise grew louder, more intense.

It was just when he read the fear in Maria's eyes that he figured it out; not fear for her. Fear for _him_.

The dread settled in his heart - and the prison dropped from the base of the Helicarrier, tumbling it - and Thor within - to the Earth below.

Thor's body was tossed around like he was made of straw as the prison fell. Memories of watching Banner fall to the ground flashed through his mind, and he half wished he'd paused for a moment longer at the opening of the vessel to consider the scientist behind the monster. He'd just stood there and watched then moved on methodically, almost not caring about his 'team mate'. He regretted it now, falling through a similar path.

The situation was eerily familiar, right down to the figure watching from the opening of the vessel as he fell.

Maria flashed in his head as he thudded over and over again into the wall of the cage.

He'd caught her face as he'd fell; the horror, the devastation, gleaming in her eyes through the pain of her body. And as he'd been unleashed to the mercy of the sky and the prison had started to tumble, he'd spotted her again. His heart bled thinking of she'd leaned out of the hole after him, arm reaching despite how much he knew it must have hurt her, fingers stretching for him.

Her hair had whipped around her beautifully and Thor clung to the thought, her round doe eyes never leaving him for an instant.

He fell.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Maria went cold.

She offered no resistance as Loki's hand closed around her arm and suddenly, she wasn't staring out of the hole in the Helicarrier where Thor had once been any more. They reappeared at the edge of the vast vessel, the side open to reveal the smaller aircraft hovering in the sky outside. Loki marched her forward towards it. Maria could only stumble with him.

Her body and mind had gone into some sort of shut down; Thor was gone. Just like that he was tumbling down to Earth and - the last of her senses turned to ice - and Maria wasn't sure if he could survive that or not. He was a god but...what exactly did that mean for him?

Maria was numb and lifeless as she was lead up the platform to the small craft and was forced into a seat. She didn't care. She couldn't register the world around her enough to care.

She was jerked back to lift when the door of the craft closed and it began to travel harshly through the air, almost knocking her off the bench she was perched on.

A chuckle drew her eyes upwards.

Loki's eyes were crinkled in the corners, his thin lips curved in a grin. Maria felt sick just looking at him. _He'd_ done this. Her life was perfect - well, not perfect, but livable at least before Loki had been put into the equation. She'd take Jason's beatings any day to being hunted down for her life. Now Loki had her and she wished she could just go back to being the scared, bruised university student she'd been before all this had begun, before Thor had knocked fatefully on her front door that day.

_Thor..._

_No, scratch that_, she thought: back to when Loki was but a shadow in the back of her mind, but Thor was still there. Her breathtaking guardian.

Her breathtaking guardian that was currently plunging to his possible doom. Maria didn't want to believe Thor could die but... how could _anyone_ survive that fall? Every inch of her instincts told her it was impossible. The world would simply cease to exist without Thor in it. It just couldn't live without him.

And then Maria realised just how true that was. It _couldn't_ live without him. Loki would summon his army, invade and without Thor, there was no one who could stop him. Sure the Avengers were strong but without Thor, they would just be delaying the inevitable.

_Thor couldn't die_, she told herself. She could feel her eyes widening with the fear that she might be wrong. _He couldn't._

The air craft was surprisingly quiet for what she expected. With all the raging noise of the explosions and the roar of the twirling blades when they'd first stepped up to it, the near silence inside was a stark contrast.

And Loki was still watching her.

Her glistening eyes crept up to him once more. She wasn't afraid anymore. At least, not of him. "I-is he dead?" her voice squeaked. _That _was all she was afraid of now. Screw the world, screw her fate, screw the god in front of her - Thor was the only thing that mattered. "Will he die?"

The glint in Loki's eyes gleamed. "I don't know." he replied in that quiet, yet deadly voice of his. _Too calm_, she thought, too settled for all the things he'd done. "I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

Maria was just about to open her mouth to ask how when it hit her and she had her answer.

They'd know if he came to save her or not.

Her eyes hardened as she watched the merciless god in front of her. "When are you going to kill me too?"

Loki laughed, the sharp sound making Maria jump. "So eager." he mused, his sly smirk slipping back into place. "I still haven't decided if I shall yet. I can see why Thor was so bespotted. You are indeed a most beautiful creature."

"What?" Maria frowned. "You're not going to kill me? I thought you needed me to unlock-"

"Taking the energy from you would not kill you." Loki cut off. "It would hurt, yes, but not enough to die from. I could unleash the force of the Tesseract and let the army descend, and keep _you_ for myself."

Maria's skin crawled. "I'm taken."

"You yourself doubted whether he was even alive or not." His eyes gleamed with smug satisfaction as Maria glanced away. The flash of pain in her eyes only spurred him on. "You should not gamble your fate so recklessly." He went on, leaning back. "There are hard times ahead. Things I could easy shield you from if you simply surrender yourself to me."

Maria opened her mouth to throw it back at him - but something incredible cut her off.

Thunder.

Her eyes rolled up to the roof of the air craft, a smile creeping at her lips. She didn't bother to hide it - she was proud! Opposite her, she could see Loki's gaze roll skywards as well.

She scanned around the craft for a window but there was nothing from her angle, just cold dark walls encasing her. It didn't matter: her mind could easily envision it, imagining the sharp forks of lightning splitting the sky, the lashes of rain darkening the world around them with the black clouds they came from. And then the thunder, so low and deep and powerful it rumbled straight through her chest. It sent shockwaves through her system.

He was alive. And he was angry. The god's fury cut through the sky, splitting the Heavens with his message to her.

He was coming for her. He was alive and he was going to fight his way back to her. Maria was grinning inconsolably as he gaze lowered back to Loki, Thor's promise tingling through her so strongly the pain in her torso was numbed to nothing.

Loki's green orbs were hard and cold.

"He's coming for me." Maria smiled, glad the god opposite her was unsettled. Any bad news for him was good news for her. And this was the best possible news she could have hoped for! "You couldn't kill him after all."

She expected Loki to be angry, and she had every expectation that he would take it out on her. In the space of a second a thousand possible senarios raced through her head; him rising and striking her across the face, him plunging his palm against the bloody expanse of her shirt, using his magic to draw every bit of pain from her he could muster while his teeth were gritted with fury.

She didn't expect him to lean back and grin. "Then I'll have to make up for the life I spared." he murmured deadlily. Ice washed through Maria's system, the smile dying on her face. "I don't like to share, Miss Maria. And if I can't have you when this war is won, I will _make sure _that my brother can't either."

Maria's jaw dropped open but no words came out. Her chest locked as the horror sank in afresh.

Something inside her refused to let her panic though. _Stop, think_, a voice urged in her head. _Thor's alive. He's coming. He won't just abandon you. There's still time._ The craft was still flying, Maria noticed. They still had to get to somewhere, to wherever the Tesseract was, before Loki would kill her. Thor had time. She wasn't dead yet.

She forced herself to take deep, steady breaths but even that couldn't stop the way her hands shook and trembled. The pain of her body ripped through her all over again and she tensed as the instinct to double over took hold. Moving only made the pain worse. Her breaths were ruined as sharp, rapid gasps took their place, her palms hovering over her injured skin, knowing there was nothing she could do about it. It was like a taster of what was to come. She had to grit her teeth and bear it.

"I can't have that." Loki suddenly murmured, leaning forward again.

Maria flinched as his hand stretched out but paused when he did, his palm hovering in the air across the air craft. She frowned: _what was he-_

Her mouth fell open all over again.

Her back arched back as a sharp cold sensation numbed over her wounded torso, chilling her to the bone. She could feel her skin tingle. It stung like hell, but behind that, her mind working frantically behind her wide eyes, she could feel a sense of soothing. Her body leaned back against the wall, chest heaving as she waited for it to end and for the world to make sense again.

Finally, the iciness melted away, leaving a cold chill on her skin. Maria hovered in place while she collected her breaths, head resting against the wall of the air craft.

_What was that?, _she gasped in her head. He'd done something to her cuts. Tentatively she lowered the hand that was still lingering in the air and - holding her breath - pressed a single fingertip against her stomach.

Her gaze shot down in an instant. _What?, _she breathed in her head, flattening the rest of her palm against her soaked shirt. Nothing; no pain. Her fingers clawed at the material and tugged it up her torso, revealing the smooth, unblemished - albeit, smeared with red blood from the oozing shirt - skin of her body beneath. No hint of a cut, of the splinters and debris that had embedded itself in her body.

Her eyes crept up to Loki. His hand was back at his side, eyes gleaming mischeviously. He'd _healed_ her. The one who was telling her he was going to kill her had _healed _her?

It was like he could read the suspicion in her mind: "I need you in good condition when I present you to the world, my dear." the god explained calmly. "You shall have fresh clothes when we land also. I intend to show you off as the beauty you are before I kill you." His eyes twinkled. "Are you sure you would not like to reconsider my offer?"

Her gaze narrowed instantly, feeling her freshly mended gut twist. "I'd die first."

His smirk deepened. "I can arrange that."

Her heart skipped a sickening beat. She wasn't afraid of him, she told herself. That bold string in her heart clung to the hope the thunder gave her, refusing the let the fear from earlier control her again. He woudn't just abandon her.

Her head shook lightly, brow furrowing slightly in a mixture of confusion and absolute loathing. "Why are you doing this?" she gasped. "Why the... heal me, dress me up... why?"

Loki chuckled as if he found her amusing. "To - what is the phrase? - rub salt into the wound, as they say."

Maria didn't know what to say. She'd never imagined anyone could be so... so vile, so twisted. Yet here he was, sat in front of her, openly telling her just how evil he was as if he were proud of it. Everything about him made her stomach churn: his merciless eyes, his cruel grin...he was going to kill her and he was going _enjoy _doing it.

_Then if I'm going to die, I have nothing to lose_, a voice in Maria's head defended. She eased back in her seat, surrendering to what she couldn't control.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, her voice hard.

She didn't care anymore. What did she have to be afraid of now? She'd cried all of her tears, braced the pain, watched the man she loved be helplessly torn from her side... all that was left was a subdued rage. A 'what more can you do to me?' sort of adrenaline.

Her thoughts scoured back over her life, thinking of what she'd be remembered by. At least she'd had a taste of paradise before she'd perish. She'd had Thor. Even if it had been fleetingly. How could a mission to keep her alive have grown into so much? It was the worst thing that had ever to her, and at the same time the best. It was her salvation and her undoing.

And now it would end her.

Loki's eyes roamed to the front of the aircraft, though through the windshield was nothing but dark, thunderous clouds.

Maria half thought about what would happen if one of Thor's bolts hit them. Would the aircraft crash? Would it burst into flames? Would it simply explode? Any scenario would be a simpler death than what Loki inevitable had in store for her.

She loved Thor but she couldn't deny the sense of dread that crept into her system. Loki was just... too determined to be stopped. Too focussed. She couldn't see how anything could foil his plan when he had everything so calculated, no matter how hard Thor tried. If she hadn't been the sacrificial lamb, perhaps a small part of her would have admired his brilliance - before her unquestionable disgust kicked in, of course.

"To the Tesseract." he answered.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Maria never imagined her first glimpse of New York City would be from the top of Stark tower, two mind-controlled guards gripping her arms either side of her, about to be murdered.

Imagined or not though - this was the reality.

Loki had been true to his word; Maria had been arranged like she was about to go on a talk show. Her hair had been brushed and smoothed, swirling in soft curls around her shoulders, all trace of blood and injury wiped from her body. Her face was clean again, her procelin skin gleaming in the bright sunshine. Her old clothes were gone, replaced with black leggings and a white loose fitting shirt.

White. That would show off her blood nicely, she couldn't help but think, fists clenched tightly at her sides.

Her jaw was gritted hard as she tore her gaze from the surrounding city, a flicker of movement catching her eye. Loki was grinning as he stepped up closer to her, the staff in his hand glinting ominously in the sunlight. She couldn't help but squirm, though her guards held her firmly captive.

"The time has come, my dear." his silky voice drolled, that blood chilling smirk touching his lips.

Maria tried to focus on the god, knowing he was what should demand her attention, but her gaze couldn't help flittering sideways. To the machine. To the cube. To scientist that tended to it. The Tesseract hummed and shone within the metalic confines, it's deadly promise rolling in waves to the young woman. It was like it was talking to her, taunting at the fate it would bring.

Her breaths quickened a notch.

"You will not be necessary." Loki murmured, moving closer so there was mere inches between him and Maria.

The guard's grips melted from her arms but she didn't have the will to move anyway. Her body was frozen in place as a coldness settled in her bones, something beyond defiance creeping into her orbs at last. A touch a fear.

Her eyes rolled back to the god as his chilled hand palmed her cheek. He gazed down at her with a suprising softness.

"You indeed have the beauty of a queen." he breathed, the tingling air hitting her face softly. "This is your last chance. Join me and save yourself."

His hand peeled from her face and she sensed it open to her, though she couldn't bring herself to glance down to be sure. She could feel it though: the cold oppertunity she'd forever regret. Her eyes weren't seeing Loki anymore as they widened and she fought her instincts. Every fibre of her being was urging her to cling for survival, to accept, to beg if she had to to keep herself alive.

Then her pride dented in and she knew she wouldn't do it. But she couldn't force out the words 'kill me' either.

As the crushing weight of her choice settled, her chest locked painfully and she screwed her eyes shut against the world she was soon to depart. And she did something she hadn't done since she was a girl: she _prayed_.

"The Lord is my shepherd," she gasped. "I shall not be in want. He makes me lie in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. He lead me in paths of-"

The words were silenced from her lips as Loki's sharp hand drew across her cheek, sending her stumbling to the side. She dropped to her knees, mouth hanging open in shock as the burn started to spread over her skin. Her wide eyes darted over her shoulder at the god, and whimpered in her head at his blazing eyes and gritted teeth. The gasps tore from her lungs.

She was powerless as he closed the distance between them and fisted a hand in her collar, hauling her upright again harshly. "_I _am the only god you need fear now!"

Maria's fingers dug helplessly into Loki's, unable to do anything to resist as he dragged her across the rooftop. The machine - and the cube with it - drew menacingly closer. Her legs kicked out uselessly, scuffling along the ground to try and delay the advance but Loki dominated her effortlessly.

It was mere seconds before Maria was at the cube's side. Her eyes were drawn by it, demanding her attention. She wasn't sure what terrified her the most: the cube itself, Loki's staff in his hand, or the painfully tight grip on her shirt, near lifting her off her feet. Loki forced her forward, till there was no where for her to look but at the cube itself, the blue energy pulsing with power.

Her breaths spiralled out of control, rasping against the inside of her lungs. The strength left her, reducing her body to a trembling mass as she confronted her fate.

"Time for you to fulfill your purpose, my dear."

Loki's voice was dripping with cold blooded intent. She wasn't sure what was icier; Loki's tone, or the point of his scepter on the center of her chest.

This was it.

She couldn't fight the whimper - her lips were too numb to hold it back. It soon morphed into a piercing scream though, as the core of Loki's staff glowed and pulsed as bright a blue as the Tesseract.

And her body _burned._

Loki's grasp on her shirt was the only thing that held her up as fire raged through her skin, and beneath it, feeling like it was scorching her very bones! Her legs folded beneath her, her neck arching back. Her wide, glazed eyes stared at the sky.

The strangled cries continued to be torn from her, mouth hanging open in absolute agony. The blows had been nothing. The shots had been nothing. The debris had been nothing. Pain was what she felt now. This was excrutiating! Her mind flashed as the fire expanded. Her limbs felt like they were being pulled apart, the muscle of her body tugging towards her core like it would be ripped from her skeleton. She couldn't be sure it wasn't.

Her screams were silent to her own ears, but she heard the hum of the machine as clear as day. Something was happening.

Her back arched as the scepter drew back from her skin, taking the impossible pull with it. The pressure diverted outwards, as if her heart was being seared from the very cavern of her chest.

Her wide eyes were locked on the sky, powerless to stop it as a bolt of blue shot into the air above the tower.

"It's working." she heard Loki hiss in her ear, _feeling_ his sinister sneer by her skin.

She longed to pass out. More than anything. Unconsciousness was a dark, safe haven compared to what she endured and she felt like she would have traded her very soul to attain it. Her eyes rolled in their sockets, but the energy pooling in the sky forced her mind to stay painfully aware.

The energy swelled in the sky, opening like a disc. The center darkened black as it grew above the tower, the portal opening the fragile world to the deadly forces beyond.

Maria didn't care. She really didn't. She just wanted to die - anything to stop this feeling! She wasn't sure how much longer she could bear it, futilely wondering if her mind would break before her body would.

_God!, _she screamed in her head, the blue portal flashing before her eyes. _This is too much!_

A dull noise started to echo in her ears, something new and unfamiliar amongst the powerful hum of the machine. It so faint and distant, breaking on and off like someone was flicking a switch, she coudn't help but think she was losing her sanity already. She still questioned herself, even when Loki flickered his gaze up.

She wasn't imagining it. It was real. And it was unplanned.

Maria couldn't think of what was good for her or bad for Loki anymore. All that she could think of was the pain coursing through her body.

And there was more to come, she realised. The portal wasn't big but it was poignant, impossible to miss in the sky. Impossible to fit a whole army through at once though.

Tears broke the barriers of her eyes at the thought of the agony going on. Through the blurs though, she caught the dark flash of something shooting through the portal. Multiple somethings. Another scream ripped through her, searing straight through her torso with it's intensity.

When it died, the strange noise was still there. And she wasn't the only one to notice it.

Her body felt like it would shatter like glass as the pull ceased and her cells seemed to ooze painfully slowly back into their rightful places. Loki's scepter lowered. The flow of energy ceased being drawn from her body as the forgein noise grew more significant. Maria was only numbly aware of it. Her chest heaved with breaths as the black dots that had fringed her vision started to clear, her mind horribly vivid. Her body slumped, every ounce of strength sapped from her.

The quiet blaze was unmistakable and Loki turned - dragging her with him - to see the form of Tony Stark flying over the city in his iron suit. Loki's hand clenched tighter, before he released Maria.

She dropped to her knees, falling against the machine for support.

"I'll deal with you shortly." was the last curt words she heard Loki speak before her mind started to swim.

Her fingers gripped the metal of the machinery, as if clinging her to consciousness. It probably was. Her body thumped numbly, every cell of her being screaming and trembling for shut down. Maria's stomach twisted as her head exploded, the dull ache of the pain settling deep into her bones, shuddering her to her very core.

Suddenly, the roar in her ears was deafening and her mouth fell open in a silent gasp, her eyes wide.

"Shut it down, Dr Selvig." Tony Stark's metalic voice demanded.

_Stark_, Maria gasped in her head, recognising the noise to be the jets in his armour. It didn't make it any more bearable though; her hands rose to clamp over her ears, curling against the machine.

"It's too late!" a new voice shouted over the noise. Maria's eyes caught the small puff of dust as the scientist shuffled steps in the direction of her and the machine. "She can't stop now. She wants to show us something...a new universe."

A breath fled from her lips, the words and sound still creeping painfully through her fingers. She half envied the mad scientist; his mind wasn't his own, as if he didn't know what he was doing. That blissful unawareness, so far thinking he was right. While Maria hunched all too connected with her real, fragile thoughts, feeling like her soul would shatter from all the emotions that tore through her slowly recovering body.

_It couldn't be stopped_, her mind drew from the people around her. Loki hadn't even finished using her yet, and the Tesseract was already unstoppable! It couldn't be shut down once it was open. Not without Loki.

But it wouldn't open wider until he came for her.

For a moment all she could hear was the sound of her own rapid breathing. Then a high pitched whine reached her ears.

"Okay."

Sparks exploded around her. The machine hissed and cracked, the pressure of the small blast closing down on her. Her hands moved to cover her head, clawing at her hair, waiting for the searing heat to touch her skin, for the machinery to crash down on her tiny body and crush her. She waited for her doom, a quiet whimper escaping her lips

Then slowly, her eyes peeled open.

Dusty ground. Her unblemished leggings. Smooths silver of the metal that her body cowered against.

She was alive. Untouched. She didn't even feel the heat wave of the explosion. Her head peeked out from her protective eyes, just in time to see the sphere of blue energy that surrounded her. The breath hitched in her throat.

Her gaze lifted, searching for Stark in the sky, but there was nothing. Was he even there to begin with?, she started to wonder through her dazed mind. Yes, he was. He must have been. Her eyes darted to the side and saw the choas, the scientist 'Dr Selvig' tossed against a short pillar. Blood trailed slowly from his hairline.

_Oh god_, she gasped in her head. _Please don't be dead. _

Her knees shook as she staggered to her feet and stumbled over to the limp body of the man. She dropped down beside him, hands on his shoulders easing him onto his back.

He groaned and shifted weakly.

_Thank god for that_, Maria sighed silently with a fleeting smile. Her fingers were shaking as she leaned over him, eyes scouring for any other injuries. She couldn't find any. A small voice in her head quesitoned why she was helping him, helping the man that armed the Tesseract to tear her body apart. He didn't mean to, she answered in her head. He was under Loki's control. He didn't know what he was doing.

It was these thoughts that drove her on, watching unafraid as Dr. Selvig rolled over and staggered weakly to his feet.

She followed on trembling knees. "What happened?" she gasped more to herself than him, the scientist staring around him with a frown and a confused expression. An alertness Loki's other drones didn't possess.

Hope flittered in her chest as he turned back to her. She wasn't even sure if Selvig had heard her question let alone if he was going to answer it, but she didn't really care. He probably wouldn't if he was under Loki's spell, she thought. It wouldn't concern him. The human glint in his eyes though, dark stabs of guilt and regret...

"You're part of the cube now." he gasped, his voice softer than she'd heard it before. His eyes were still scouring his surroundings. "It can't be touched and nor can you. The field of energy... " he gulped hard. "It applies to you too."

Maria's heart stopped. She couldn't be hurt. Not while she was on the rooftop with the cube. A small, relieved smile flickered her lips.

Then she corrected herself: one person could hurt her. The one person who controlled the cobe - Loki. The smile died, and dread washed through her system. Her torment wasn't over yet.

A flash of crimson red rained from the sky, dropping past the edge of the building in the space of a heartbeat. Maria flew to the rooftop edge, hands gripping the sides as she leaned over. She knew that colour. Her heart positively soared soared with hope. A smile gasped over her face again, glistening eyes fixed on the balcony - and the red caped, blond haired, hammer weilding god that stood upon it.

_Thor_.

She watched him face Loki, exchanging words she couldn't hear. Then Loki launched himself at Thor and she body tensed like ice.

The smile died, heart in her mouth as the two gods fought below. Staff clashed with hammer, crashes and battle cries drowning out her inner screams of panic. Thor had the power advantage - but Loki was quick and nimble, his staff jabbing too close for comfort sometimes against Thor's body. She couldn't help but think that if it kept up that way, it wouldn't be long before Loki landed a blow.

The pair grappled and Maria gasped when Loki shrugged Thor back, abandoning the battle for a second to fire at a hovering aircraft. Thor threw himself at his brother, laying into him with everything he had.

Loki's staff edged between them, barring Thor's hammer from landing a hit. She watched, going insane at not know what was going on, not knowing what they were saying. The stillness was killing her.

Then Loki's arm drove forward and Thor doubled over.

Maria's body twitched an inch further over the egde of the building, eyes wide with horror. _"THOR!"_

Her heart stopped, body going so numb there was a real risk she would slip from the rooftop as she watched. _Get up_, she willed, tears stinging the back of her eyes. _Get up!_ There was no sense of relief though, even when he did.

The hammer fallen from his hand, Thor threw his fist at his brother, fighting on in a way that both reassured Maria and terrified her at the same time. Her heart thudded into a mad rhythm as she drank in the battle. Thor wasn't going down. Even attacked like that, he was winning. Hope lit up every inch of Maria's body at the realisation, tears of absolute reprieve slipping uncontrolably down her cheeks when her god lifted Loki high in the air and crashed him down again.

Loki couldn't beat Thor. Her god was too good. She wanted to smile. She wanted to laugh at the portal as if to mock it, to show it didn't stand a chance with Thor on her side. But she couldn't tear herself from the edge of the building, paralysed.

Loki rolled off the balcony, disappearing from view.

For once, she didn't care about Loki at all, eyes locked on Thor. A thankful smile washed over her face, her eyes rolling briefly to the Heavens. If someone had heard her prayers of strength before, she hoped they heard her ones of utter gratitude now.

She watched Thor. He pulled out something from his abdomen and tossed it to the side as if it were nothing. To him, it probably was.

Her mouth opened to call out to him, what she would say still completely unknown to even herself.

Then a Chitauri ship shot past and tore him with it.

The battle for Earth had begun.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

For the first time in his life, Thor hated the battle. Every strike and every blow was wasting the valuable seconds he could have invested in getting to Maria. That was what he was here for.

Earth could wait.

The portal in the sky filled his heart with dread and he already wondered if he was indeed too late. No - he thought. He'd fought Loki. If Maria was dead, he would have gloated about it. He wouldn't have been able to resist twisting Thor's heart out of his chest with the knowledge.

Thor's eyes rolled to the portal itself. In a short space of time, much had crept through. It was still not fully open though, Loki's forces limitted in their advance.

He wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Good if it meant he had fewer foes to defeat before he could rescue Maria. Bad if Loki back to her before he could and finished the job. Then both Earth and Thor would be doomed.

Their forces would be overrun, and the woman he loved would be slaughtered once her purpose was exhausted. Everything would be lost.

He had to get to Maria.

The trail of energy from the portal bled straight down to the roof of Stark tower, telling him where he needed to be. The fighting was drawing him closer to the ground though.

He crushed a Chatauri's skull with a blow from his hammer and leapt from their flying vessel, letting his body fall through the air. He could not have timed it better: below him he caught a fleeting glimpse of fighting, the unmistakable blue suit of the Captain catching his eye. His feet met ground as the surrounding Avengers vanquished their foes. Thor landed amongst his comrades heavily, leaning against a fallen vehicle as he righted himself.

Every part of him hated to be on the ground, so far from Maria, but his warrior instincts forced him to stay. These people were his team mates. He would stand by their side. They would save Maria together.

The Captain and Hawkeye stode around him purposefully, as the last of the enemies fell. "What's the story upstairs?"

"The power surrounding the cube is inpenetrable." he stated bluntly, eyes meeting the focussed orbs of the Captain.

The team convened.

"Thor's right." Stark's voice affirmed, though his presence was no where to be seen. Thor had no time to question it now; there were more important things to consider than the wonders of Earth technology. "We need to deal with these guys."

Agent Romanov joined the group on the ground. "How do we do this?"

"As a team." The Captain's answer was instantaneous.

Thor's eyes followed his leading teammate, his admiration drowned out with his determined urgency. There was more riding on this for him than there was any of them.

Murderous thoughts were already racing through the gods head. Loki was his. Thor's mission was so much different to the other, his priorities a lot more delicate. Once Maria was safe and in his arms once more, Thor didn't think there was a single force in all the nine realms that could protect his brother from his wrath. What he had done already was unforgivable. What he _planned_ to do... Thor would destroy him.

"I have unfinished business with Loki." was all he said, knowing the Captain would understand his meaning. They all would.

Except for one: "Yeah? Get in line." the man with the arrows challenged darkly.

"Save it." The Captain snapped before Thor could open his mouth to protest. "Loki's gonna keep this fight focussed on us and that's what we need. WIthout him, these things could run wild. We got Stark up top. He's gonna need us to-"

The deep rumble of an engine cut him off. The Avenger's all turned simultaneously at the sound, wondering what sort of fool would be riding _into_ war!

Then Bruce Banner swung off the bike and they swarmed forward. Thor eyed Stark Tower darkly as he reluctantly followed. He was wasting time here, he told himself, glancing fleetingly at his comrades as Banner and Agent Romanov exchanged words. Every second he stayed was a second Loki had to move. And he would be moving in _that _direction.

He wondered if Maria could see him from the tower. He knew she was somewhere on the roof, hearing her scream when Loki had stabbed him. She was up there all right.

But he could not simply go get her.

The portal's existance meant that Loki had drawn on her energy, even if he had not tapped into all of it. Perhaps it would have been better if he had, the god half thought to himself. At least then Maria's ties with the Tesseract would have been severed. Now, with half the energy still in her body, she was bound to it.

There were two plans of option; Thor's or Loki's. Loki's involved draining Maria of her energy, leaving her open and vulnerable for him to kill her. He would use her for all she was worth. And it would hurt. Thor's plan worked in contrast - sever the bond via the Tesseract, not the other way around. If he could close the portal, the energy in Maria would go dormant again with the cube.

It was lucky for Earth that the key to saving it lay with the key to saving Maria. Thor knew which side he would have chosen if it had not.

A crash from a far off building drew him from his thoughts. He looked up just in time to see Stark's flying suit of amour lead a Chitauri battle ship around the corner, into their street. It was heading straight for them.

Thor gritted his teeth in frustration. He should not be here, he continually thought as Banner morphed into the Hulk, he and Stark working together to bring the ship down. Thor dove for cover and cursed. All he needed was a plan. A confirmation that he could go and deal with Maria, Loki and the Tesseract without leaving his team in mortal danger.

He just needed the nod and he'd be gone. Why did everything always have to get in the way?

He leapt forward as soon as he had the chance, joining the configuring circle of Avengers in the middle of the street. His keen eyes spotted enemies creeping out the surrouding buildings. It wouldn't be long before they closed in.

"Guys." Agent Romanovs call drew the Avenger's eyes to her, all following her gaze as she stared at the sky.

The did so just in time to see three more battle ships drift through the portals. Thor swore in his head.

"Call it, Captian." Stark barked.

Thor flew his eyes to the Captain, waiting less than patiently for the suited man to take up the call before Thor took it for him. Did they not understand his sense of urgency?!

"All right, listen up." the Captain finally said, causing Thor's heart to leap. At last! His body tingled with anticipation; he was going to close in on Loki soon. He hoped for his brother's sake that he was prepared.

His gaze rolled to Stark Tower again as orders were distributed amongst the team. Thor didn't care. He just wanted to go. And soon, nothing would be able to stop him.

"Thor," The Captain turned to him, and Thor glanced back. "You gotta try and bottle up that portal. Slow 'em down." His gaze followed the god's towards Stark Tower and the portal hanging above it. "You got the lightning. Light the bastards up."

_With pleasure_, Thor couldn't help but growl in his head. He swung Mjolnir in circles, feeling his rage and adrenaline course through his system. The electricity was already pricking his senses, ready to respond to his every command. New York City was in for one hell of a storm! The god launched himself into the air, letting Mjolnir soar him towards a towering sky scraper.

A plan forged in his head. _Lightning_, he thought as he latched onto the tip of the building.

Sharp cracks of electricity thundered down, clashing with his outstretched hammer. The power surged through the entire structure of the sky scraper, forks of lightning curving round the body of the building. This was his element, he thought. If Loki could see him now, he should be afraid - Thor felt like he had all the power in the nine realms at his command!

Destroy the portal, he thought in his head. His aim had to be exact though. Once the portal was disabled, Maria would be unprotected. If his blow went wild, too much fuel or a touch too low...

He had no other option. He would get it right, he reassured himself.

His roar crashed with the thunder as Mjolnir steered the lightning towards Stark Tower, aiming for the stream of energy between the cube and the portal. If the blow was too close to the machine, it could hit Maria. Lightning trailed down the thread of power to the machine holding the Tesseract.

Then the breath caught in Thor's chest as Maria staggered back into view. His gaze was drawn to her, she and Selvig backing away from the attacked machine out of the lightning's immediate reach. The onlooking god was more than conscious of the building's plumetting edge, more of a threat to the mortals than his electrifying attack was.

His attention was drawn back to the skies as another warship started to creep through the portal. A sharp attack from his lightning sent it back.

Then everything faltered.

The lightning on the Tesseract crackled weakly as soon as the god had diverted his attention, the power his task demanded too much to be shared. The ship fell back, and his plans fell down.

The lightning peeled back from the buildings, retreating back to the skies. Thor's heart plumetted - he couldn't close the portal.

Cold dread washed through his system as he panicked. What could he do? He didn't know how else to close the portal. And the only other option to sever the connection... it didn't bear thinking about. The god cursed in his head: he might have just blown his one chance.

Another battleship cruised through the air beneath him and Thor leapt down to it, driving his hammer into every living thing on the beast's back to fine turn his mind back into battle. He'd run out of options. How could he close the portal? His hammer pounded again and again, the fight sharpening his mind. He needed to stay focused. He couldn't let himself be clouded by hopelessness.

The light distraction turned out to be more taxing than he'd anticipated as more Chitauri warriors attacked him. Even after the Hulk crashed on with him, he was kept busy with his foes, fleeting glances at Stark Tower all he could allow himself.

Maria and Selvig were still mercifully standing.

But they weren't alone.

XXX

Maria watched with bugging eyes as the lightning peeled back from the technology holding the Tesseract, the bubble of protectve energy shielding it - and her - from harm. She may not be a genius in Asgardian machinery but she knew what Thor had been trying to do.

Her eyes shot to Selvig. "We need to close the portal."

"We can't." he gasped intantly. "It's too powerful."

Maria rolled her eyes back forward, back up to the portal. If many more warriors came through that thing, Thor and the other's would be overwhelmed.

There had to be a way, she thought. The cube wouldn't stay open. It couldn't. There had to be a way to make it close. She half wished Loki were here. His gloating might give them some clue at least as to how they could stop it.

Then, she had her answer: Loki.

"Loki must have a way to close it down somehow." she reasoned aloud. "He wouldn't leave it open after the war was won. It'd be too vulnerable."

_But how?!, _she screamed in her head in frustration. His scepter was able to draw her energy from her. It had some sort of control. Perhaps it worked in reverse, closing it, as well as opening it.

The scientist ran along the same trail of thought as her. "Loki's scepter. It's the only thing that can puncture the energy shield."

_Energy shield?, _Maria frowned inwardly, eyes trailing down the thread from the portal. _What did that have to do with-_

The thought was silenced as her gaze finally lowered down to the machine holding the Tesseract, and drank in the compact blue ball of energy that huddled around it. She staggered backwards nearer the edge of the building to stay out of it's reach. She didn't want to be a part of that thing.

Her mind fought for focus as panic started to descend. _Okay_, she inwardly gulped. Just one problem: the scepter was with Loki, and Loki was-

"Me." she suddeny thought aloud. Her eyes flew to the scientist questioningly. "What about me? You said I was part of this thing now. It protects me with the same sort of shield. I could get through it, couldn't I? I could close it?" Any other time she would have felt proud and uber smart for thinking of the idea... but right now, there simply wasn't time.

Selvig's eyebrows pinched in thought. "I think so. But as to if you can actually pull the energy back... I don't know if that's possible." he finally admitted.

Maria's eyes turned back to the Tesseract. "We have to try. There's nothing else."

Nothing else other than just killing yourselves and getting it over with, a snide voice snapped visciously in her head. Maria tried not to make her wince too obvious.

Gulping down her anxieties she started to step up to the glowing machine, her fingers rising ahead of her. _What if this didn't work_?, she started to think, inching closer. Then the only thing useful she could do was kill herself! At least then Loki couldn't use her to make things any worse. _No, don't think of that_, she willed, the fringes of the shield getting scarily closer. She paused when her fingertips were inches away. What would it feel like? A bubble of energy - would if it burn, or tingle, or buzz, or... what?

Thoughts flashed back to her home, and the world she'd left behind. She'd be getting her university results soon. Trivial compared to saving the world, but still important. She focussed on that: she had to go home and find out her results. Somehow, she had to get through this for that if nothing else. Something normal to cling on to.

And Jane's wedding! It wasn't too late. She could go to the wedding - her and Thor - and they could just be normal. No flying guys with armour and magical hammers. No dudes in leather with deadly scepters. No assasins, no guns, no spies. Normal.

She felt like she would kill for a touch of normal right now.

She gritted her teeth and plunged her hand in the blue light before she could scare herself away. And it didn't throw her back. Her eyes stared at her hand, bathed in mystical blue light. Hope started to flood through her system - maybe she could do this after all.

It didn't hurt. It didn't even hum with power. If anything it was cold, a light chill lifting the invisible hairs on her hand in a way she didn't expect. _Maybe it's adopted a few traits from it's master_, she thought darkly, thinking of Loki's cold heart.

Then she snapped back to focus: "What do I press?" she suddenly called over her shoulder to the scientist.

"Nothing." he said, much to her surprise. "It doesn't need the machine anymore, it's working by itself. You have to tap into the energy somehow."

_How the hell do I do that?,_ she couldn't help but think.

Then a long fingered hand closed around her forearm and it didn't matter anymore. The blood drained from her face as her eyes lifted: Loki's orbs were as merciless as ever. "I wouldn't to that if I were you."

Maria couldn't so much as gasp before he yanked her back, driving her from the machine with a force she couldn't hope to fight with. Her plimsolls scuffed along the ground helplessly, doing nothing to deter the dangerous god. A whimper escaped her lips, sure that Loki would break her arm if he kept up with the vice like grip like he was! She couldn't see how far he pushed her but it was mere seconds before he jerked her arm, and spun her round. It felt like an eternity. An arm closed around the front of her shoulders before she could even think to move. Her body squirmed out of instinct, fighting desperately against the hold that pinned her back. She could feel the solid body behind her.

"There's nothing you can do." Loki hissed down in her ear, stilling her stuggles.

Maria's blood turned to ice, eyes widening. Loki was back. He was here. Her heart stopped beating as the truth of what that meant descended upon her: the pain would be back, and then he would kill her. Her fingers clawed at his forearm over her collar bone, but just as before, the god didn't even flinch.

Her eyes flickered pleadingly to Selvig - but that scientist looked terrified in his own rights. He staggered back, knees crumpling beneath him. He crawled to put some distant between himself and Loki.

She started to surrender to the hopelessness.

Maria blinked her eyes out of their haze of panic, so her glistening orbs washed over the city. They found Thor, battling on top of a Chitauri warship, instantly.

"This is the effect of humanity." he sneered over her shoulder, his arm around her body the only thing that stopped her from plunging to her doom below. Her toes rocked millimeters from the edge. "Chaos and bloodshed. A deep, never ending price to pay for your precious freedom, is it not?"

Maria stared out at Thor, watching him fight. He was too busy to help her, she realised. With all those warriors... he would defeat them, but it would take time. Time she didn't think Loki would let her have.

Mission: close the portal.

She couldn't do that. Not like this. And there was no way Loki was going to let her go.

She couldn't close the portal, but now Loki could make her open it. Could make it worse. Her heart settled with dread, dreaming of what that would unleash for Thor. She couldn't let it happen. She couldn't let Loki open up the portal anymore. If she couldn't stop him, she could at least hamper him, buy the Avengers vital time.

"Thor fights for your world." Loki went on. "Fights for that precious freedom you mortals so desperately crave. Look what it has brought. And now Thor will pay the price for choosing poorly, when he loses all he loves."

Maria's knees went weak at the open threat, mouth falling open.

_No_, she scolded herself sharply. Her body tensed under Loki's hold. She couldn't surrender, couldn't give in. If Thor couldn't help her, she had to help herself somehow.

There was more at stake than just her.

She couldn't let herself be used to open the portal wider, whatever happens. But there was no one to help her. She couldn't escape and even if she could, where would she go where Loki wouldn't find her?

Her body stilled again as a solid solution came to mind, throat drying at the prospect. Her hands started to tremble.

_You promised!, _a panicking voice in her head squeaked desperately, the same voice that had given her the idea earlier in the first place.

Maria's eyes hardened with resolve, the small part of her that panicked confirming it - it was what she had to do. It was the solution. It was right. She gulped hard.

Thor was a hero, no doubt about that. But he couldn't help her and she couldn't leave it to him. Or any of them. This fell to her, the fate of the world balanced in her hands. What she did could save or destroy them. And there was only one way to stop Loki from getting what he wanted.

The god behind her was almost insignificant as the horror of what she was considering coursed through her with calm control. Her eyes found Thor, the solid pressure of Loki's body against her back bringing back memories of her god. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. She wished she could look into those crystal blue eyes, feel those strong arms around her once more... that wasn't going to happen.

All the time she'd known Thor he'd protected her. He'd put himself in harms way to defend her, saving her in more ways than the obvious.

Now it was her turn.

She could do this, she told herself as she sucked in a deep breath. She rocked on her heels as much as Loki would allow her, eyes fluttering shut to savour the moments before she broke her promise.

Suddenly, her body stilled._ I'm sorry, Thor._

Then ... _well_.

Loki didn't see it coming as Maria exploded into action, the transition from bolt stillness to _that_ catching him way off guard: Maria kicked back with her heel, ramming her elbow back hard. A grunt left Loki as the attack knocked the wind out of him. His arm feel away from her like paper in her wind.

Maria wasted no time breaking free of his hold, twisting forward to see the god holding himself upright by his scepter on the floor, arm wrapped around his torso. His burning, blazing eyes glared up at her with hatred.

Then they widened, taking in her position.

She didn't stop to think, the breath heaving from her chest. She couldn't risk bottling out. This was the only way to keep Loki's goal out of his reach.

Maria leaned back, and fell.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Thor watched his world fall - literally.

His body had shut down when he saw Maria, poised at the edge of the building with Loki's arm trapping her in place. His heart had stopped in his chest - what was Loki doing? He dared not move in case he missed something vital, every coherent thought in his head turning to dust.

Then he'd watched Maria struggle and fight, using the very techniques he'd taught her on the hill that one day, and his heart had glimmered with pride.

It plumetted to his stomach less than a second later.

Suddenly, Loki was alone on the edge of the building. An unmistakable form tumbled from the tower.

_NO!_

Thor wasn't sure if the roar was aloud or not, throwing his hammer forward with as much force as he could muster. He barely even noticed the Chitauri blade that tore deep through his shoulder. He flew towards the falling mass with the speed of light, but it still didn't feel fast enough to him. His teeth gritted, the knuckles on his hand bone white around Mjolnir. His heart soared a million times faster than his body, frustrating him more.

Gods, how was she falling so fast? He altered his course downwards, gravity pulling her down faster than he would have thought possible. She was tiny! She was light! Thor cursed the forces of physics that refused to let the attributes slow her fall.

He pushed himself faster but he felt like every inch he flew, Maria fell a meter. It was frustrating and terrifying and exhillarating all at the same time. But he didn't care; speed was all he cared about. He _needed_ to get there somehow.

Fleeting thoughts that he might be too late crashed through his mind. What if he was? What if Maria plumetted to her doom and if he'd have flown just a touch earlier, just a tad faster, he could have saved her? Visions of blood, of broken, shattered limbs drove through his mind, but he refused to let them clot his vision. That was only for Maria, alive ... and falling.

She didn't even know he was coming. There was no way she could: she was tumbling too much, falling too fast to make out anything coherent. Would she even think he was coming?

Thor's teeth gritted harder as he got painfully close. So did the ground. Just a few more seconds, he thought, able to make out every limb flailing in her fall, every whip of her hair in the wind. He stretched out his other arm, fingers reaching for her.

Then she dropped even more and his heart fell with her - he wouldn't make it.

Every inch of his body trembled with the effort of moving faster, but there was only so far his will could take him. The laws of physics were too strong. He wasn't sure if his tearing eyes were from the wind or otherwise but he binked at them furiously. He couldn't stop. No matter the chances, he couldn't stop, couldn't just let her _die_...

He swear he heard his heart crack loudly in his chest as it fully sunk in: it was impossible. He couldn't reach her, couldn't save her...

A flash of red and a sickening crack issues ahead of him, and suddenly, Thor's hand was reaching out for nothing. _What?, _his mind vaguely thought, before the worst crossed his mind.

That was all it took to destroy him.

Then his strength failed.

Everything crashed down at once. His emotions dug into his heart like spears and his will snapped, his pain stealing the strength from his body.

_This is it_, he thought as his arm started to tremble and it became agony just to hold on. So he let go. His fingers unclenched around Mjolnir. He didn't know, or care, what would become of his hammer. Whether it would stop with him, or fall, or fly on... he didn't care. The pure numbing dread of Maria gone... it just paralysed him.

He wasn't far from the ground, but it was the momentum that worried him the most. He was moving fast; even if the hammer wasn't pulling him forward anymore, it had left them with an incredible speed. That would hurt, he thought.

He wished it would kill him.

Alas, that was impossible: a roar of pain tore through his gritted teeth as his back ground into the hard street beneath him. His armour shielded him from most of the harm, but the impact sent shock waves through his already spent body, his shoulders slamming first into the ground and taking the bulk of the force.

He would take it all, he thought. If it would take him to Maria. His body dug groves into the road as he skidded to a halt, the pressure on his shoulders relieved to be replaced with a fierce burn.

For a moment Thor just stared. Eyes stared wide at the skies about, clouds still swirling from his far off attempt at the tower. He didn't know what to do. Curse the moment of being alive? He did that, along with all the pain crippling his back and shoulders, wishing it were potent enough to end his life. Or at least knock him out. Unconsciousness would be a welcome friend right now, delaying the time he might have to face the unthinkable.

She'd gone. She'd just gone. He'd blinked and she was gone, that crack still echoing in his ears. Had she been closer to the ground than he'd thought? He didn't want to imagine it... but she wasn't falling anymore. He couldn't ignore that.

Then a cry hit ears and he snapped back to focus. He knew that sound.

He shot upright, ignoring his body's screaming protests and scanned his eyes frantically around him. He'd heard it; that was Maria. He searched desperately, praying he wasn't loosing his mind already. No, he told himself. He'd heard her... but he couldn't see her anywhere. His chest heaved with breaths, panic starting to rise urgently.

The soft blaze of thrusters brought him back. His eyes shot upwards - and his heart fell to the floor in absolute relief.

"Maria." He gasped breathlessly.

Stark's metal suit thudded as he dropped to the ground, Maria's trembling whimpering form in his arms. He knelt and handed her over smoothly.

Thor couldn't move, frozen helplessly with his absolute relief. He let Maria slump against him as she sat on his thighs. She was breathing hard, her eyes screwed shut. Thor's hand found the side of her head and he kissed hard into her hair, his other arm winding around her waist and rocking her as she cried against him. He wanted to join her but he couldn't, overwhelmed too much for mere tears. He held her like a child, her body feeling so fragile in his arms.

His chest ached more than he'd ever imagined possible, but it was the best pain he'd ever felt. He wouldn't trade it for anything.

"I think she's hurt." The mask parted from the genius's face as he righted himself, sunlight glinting magestically off his armour. "That was a hard hit, and I'm not exactly made of cotton wool. Something cracked."

So that was it, he thought, wanting to smile with pure gratitude but unable to force his lips to move. The flash of red had been the suit not...what he didn't want to think about.

He had her. She was safe in his arms again.

The god glanced down and examined her for the damage he knew would be there in some form or another. The collision had been brutal. She was clutching at her wrist with trembling fingers and blood stained the front of her shirt, though Thor didn't know if it was hers or Chitauri from Stark's armour. He knew there must be more. There had to be. It hurt to know she was in such pain, but at least she was alive to feel it. Wounds could heal. The dead stayed dead.

His fingers threaded through her hair and angled her head up to him. His mouth crashed down on hers. She couldn't kiss him back; her whimpers on his lips were too strong. But he kissed her slow and soft regardless, needing to taste her, to know she was really safe and with him.

His heart broke when he heard a strangled cry leave her lips.

Everything hurt. His chest ached with a lethal combination of relief and anguish, a thousand emotions surging through him at once, though right at the top, he just felt like crying that someone had stopped her from crashing to her death. He still had her. But she was broken. He could feel it.

It felt like a lifetime before her heaving chest started to slow and settle but her cries never fully stopped. The best he could do was reduce them to silent, gasping tears.

When he pulled away, she collapsed against his chest.

"My r-ribs hurt." she finally stammered, her voice trembling as violently as her body. "M-my collar bone. _Ah _- my _wrist_-"

Thor breathed a sigh of relief. Broken collar bone, broken wrist and a few broken ribs. They would hurt, but they were a small price to pay. He was too tired to smile, but he was sure he would have otherwise. He ducked his head and pressed a kiss into Maria's hairline, grateful Tony had had the chance to save her.

Thor's eyes lifted to the amoured man, eyes glistening. "Thank you." His voice was shaky. Would the genius ever truly know what he had done for him? He had, in essence, saved his life. In saving Maria, he had saved Thor himself.

Stark reached down a hand, and Thor took it, using their combined efforts to pull the god to his feet. Maria remained tenderly cradled in his arms.

"No hard feelings, Thunder?"

Thor gripped the man's forearm harder, not caring if he couldn't feel it through the metal. His eyes gleamed with sincerity. Yesterday, he hated this man - now, he _loved _him! "I will never pay off this debt, my friend." the god said deeply, fighting to keep the fragile emotions out of his voice. It didn't work, his voice cracking. He'd never heard himself sound so weak before. He didn't give a damn. "I owe you my everything."

The arrogant grin that fitted well into Stark's face curved into the billionnaire's lips. "Let's start with saving the world, yeah? Consider that step one."

An almighty crash from above distracted them both, eyes training on the explosions blasting around them from the surrounding battles.

Tony's mask slid shut. "We'll sort this later."

Thor stood back as the genius shot up into the air, leaving him alone with Maria on the torn up steet while the world raged around them. His mind snapped back into battle mode - they were right in the open.

He hurried to the side of the street out of open fire, launching them over the twisted form of an upturned car. He didn't go any further; he didn't trust the buildings. Nowhere was safe now, but at least he could defend her out here. In a building however, where he was restricted... no.

He crouched down as smoothly as he could, and eased Maria down to the ground, her back against the underside of the vehicle. The air hissed from her lungs at the movement.

Thor drew in a shuddering breath, some part of him wanting to hate Stark for how much pain he'd caused Maria. But he could never hate what he did though, never regret it. Not when the alternative was so painfully clear and so narrowly avoided.

He stayed down on one knee with her, hands on her shoulders as her forehead rested against his breast plate.

"I c-couldn't close it." she sobbed into his chest, the tears back. "I tried, b-but I c-couldn't." Her hand released her wrist and moved to his neck, her fingertips clenching in his hair. "I'm so sorry, Thor. Oh God, I was so scared. I was so scared."

She rambled hysterically into his breast plate and Thor listened silently. He felt relaxed, though he strongly suspected that was his exhaustion lulling him. "It doesn't matter." he breathed, cutting her off. His fingers stroked gently through her hair. "None of it matters."

None of it did. The portal and Loki could go to hell and Thor simply didn't care anymore. The breath swelled more fully in his chest, and he couldn't help but wonder if he'd broken a few ribs himself at the pain that shot through him.

"I-I never thought I'd see you again. I was..." she bit her lip as the last note cracked. "I thought I was going to die. I was so ready to die..."

Thor's hand found a place at the back of her neck and stiffened. He clamped his jaw shut: he didn't want to think about it, let alone talk. It was just ... too horrific to imagine. He sighed with relief as Maria's shuddering started to still. "I would have come." fled from his lips in an urgent whisper. He pressed a hard, brief kiss to her lips. "I would have come."

"There wasn't time."

He wanted to tighten his arms around her but didn't dare. He didn't want to hurt her anymore than she already was. His fingers traced to her cheek instead. "You broke your promise."

She started to chuckle but it turned into a squeak of pain instead. "Small price to save the world." she forced through gritted teeth, eyes screwed shut.

"Not for me." His lips found her forehead and stayed there. He never wanted to be apart from her ever again. "You are my world."

Her sigh misted against his armour and Thor felt relaxed enough to be back in the cottage in England. What he'd give for that. He promised himself that when this was all over he'd take Maria home. He'd buy her that Titanic film she liked so much and they would just stay in the house, watching over and over again, while she lay cradled in his arms on the couch. He never wanted to let her go again. He would love her. He would care for her until the end of his days.

"You were so brave." he murmured into her skin. The grin crept into place on his lips as he reccounted how she'd used his manouvres to break free. He was grateful he'd taught her that now. It may have just saved her life. His lips pressed into her cheek. "My little warrior."

"Do I pass?" she shuddered a chuckle. "You're not the only hero now, Thunder Boy."

Thor claimed her lips, unable to take it anymore and she let him take her. It was all she wanted, as if Thor's taste was the only medicine for her pain. It was - for the inside.

"Where's Loki?" she breathed as they parted for air. Her fingers softened in his hair as the tension in her body started to ease. It didn't hurt as much when she relaxed.

Thor's arm wound around her back carefully, eyes lifting to the Tower Maria had just leapt from. The last Thor had seen of his brother was at the top of that tower. His gaze was just in time to see the massive green from of the Hulk crash into the building with purpose.

Suddenly, Thor felt _very _sorry for Loki. "I'm guessing he's up there."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

The battle wasn't over.

A resounding crash from over the top of the car brought them back and they leapt to alert. They were in a warzone.

Thor straightened up, leaving Maria cowered against the underside of the vehicle, eyes scanning the street for what he could do. He would not leave Maria, but he wasn't out of this fight yet. When had so many Chitauri come? There was a small group of them on the street now - all against the Captain.

The god saw his oppertunity.

"Maria," he grunted, hand stretching to the side to call his hammer to him once more. "Move."

Thor didn't look down to see if she'd done as he'd said, but the piercing cry of pain and the scuffle on the dust covered road told him she had. He heard a quiet, soft thud behind him. A part of him wanted to turn, to check she was alright. There was no mistake that that sound was her falling to the ground...

But right now, someone else needed him more.

The Captain fell.

Mjolnir found his hand and he slammed the hammer into the underside of the car where Maria had sat moments ago. The structure turned with the force, rolling forward fast and wiping out the wave of Chitauri closing in over the superhuman. A few quick swings and the rest were vanquished too.

He glanced over his shoulder when the street was clear again: Maria had somehow worked herself to her feet, leaning against the pillar of a building heavily. She sent him a gasping smile.

Thor breathed out, a combination of relief and exhaustion. The dust on the ground scuffed as Maria staggered out to him, near falling back into his arms. Thor opened them to her willingly. He was careful not to hold her against him, keeping his hands on the backs of her shoulder blades rather than her waist.

His face buried in her neck, her arms locking tight around his body. The god inhaled her essence, breathing in the scent of her through her hair.

It was like an energy boost by the time he reluctantly exhaled again. Like a bolt of electricity had shot through him. He had his purpose, his reason for fighting and existing right there with him again.

His eyes rolled over her shoulder to the Captain, still sprawled out on the ground. He straightened himself up and shifted Maria into one arm.

He offered his spare hand to the Captain. "Ready for another bout?"

The Captain took it and the god hauled him to his feet. "What?" the man gasped as he righted himself. "You getting sleepy?"

Maria stared up with them as their gazes lifted numbly to the sky and all the chaos that still blazed. How?, she wondered. How could four men, one woman and a ... Hulk stop all this? It just seemed hopeless. Too much, too many warships, too many Chitauri... the portal hadn't grown but it didn't seem to matter; they were overwhelmed anyway.

Then Agent Romanov's voice cracked through the Captain's intercom and all eyes lowered to him: "I can shut the portal down."

Maria's heart leapt with hope, lips parting in a smile her face muscles were too exhausted to form.

"Then do it!" Rogers shouted instantly.

Maria's eyes flickered back to the sky. She imagined the agent up on the roof with Selvig. _They must have the scepter_, she thought; the only thing that could close the portal save for her.

_Yes,_ she agreed, _do it. _

"No, wait!"

Maria's eyes shot to the Captain again as Stark's voice cut through the intercom. Her brow furrowed hard. Had she heard that right? He wanted to _wait_?

The Captain looked just as perplexed at the genius's words as she was. "Stark, these things are still coming." he barked down the line.

"I got a nuke coming in." Stark chipped before another confused thought could cross Maria's mind. Her jaw dropped with alarm, eyes darting to the skies again. A nuke?! Oh God... "It's gonna blow in less than a minute."

_That was it_, Maria thought before she could help herself. Not even Roger's shield could save them from a damned nuclear explosion! Her throat ran bone dry as she saw the unmistakable form of a missile creep into view through the Heavens. Tony should have just let her crash from that building, she couldn't help think. They were all dead anyway...

She wasn't sure if Thor understood what a 'nuke' was but he seemed to get the 'danger' message just fine; his arm stiffened tightly around Maria's shoulders. His hammer shot back to his hand.

This wasn't something his hammer could protect them against though, she thought with dread.

Maria couldn't take her eyes off the missile that would end their lives as it crept into view amongst the sky scrapers, knowing it would blow them to oblivion...

Then a flash of red glinted alongside it in the sunlight and the breath caught in her throat - Stark. Her eyes were wide, gleaming with apprehension and appreciation as the genius that had already saved her life once that day angled the destructive capsule upwards.

_Oh my God_, she breathed in her head, her uninjured arm reaching up for Thor's arm; the danger was moving up, _away_ from them. Maria's teeth ground into her bottom lip as they watched in tentative silence, all their senses razor sharp. Tony was taking it away. Even as Stark's plan started to set in in Maria's mind, she found her nerves still ground into place. He's going to put it through the portal, she realised. Her mouth hung open, a tidal wave of emotions crashing through her.

_This could work_, she thought. Her hand clenched on Thor's bicep but she wasn't sure he could feel it through his armour -_ but it might not._

If it didn't, Maria wanted to spend her last minutes with Thor, praying to whatever god that would hear her that they could be together in the next life somehow if they couldn't in this one.

Then both Stark and the missile vanished through the electric blue of the portal and her attention was snapped back to the here and now.

Everything had moved so fast, that the moment the danger had left their world it all seemed to slow down again. It was surreal. Like what she was seeing through the portal was on a cinema screen or something rather than being real. Their position, so close to the tower, gave them a perfect view of the world on the other side of the magical gateway. One moment it was all black. Then Maria blinked and it was a fiery orange inferno as the devastating weapon detonated in the foreign world.

Maria wanted to smile, to flutter her eyes shut with relief, but she couldn't - now she was waiting for Romanov to close the portal. To seal off the danger once and for all. She wasn't sure how far in the bomb had exploded... but she was sure it wasn't far enough for the blast radius to not include the portal.

They might not be out of this yet. Not until the portal was down.

Her eyes were glued to the sky, waiting for any sign of Tony to fly through before that could happen.

Around them Chitauri warriors dropped. Just dropped. Like once their controller had been destroyed, they shut down too. _Like robots_, she thought. She couldn't pretend she understood anything about the race other than that it was dangerous, but as the warriors fell, even from building ledges and rooftops, she was reminded of shutting down technology, all life vanishing in a draining second.

It was almost too good to be true, she thought. Enemy defeated, threat avoided - almost. They really needed to close that portal.

But where was Tony?

Vital seconds ticked by.

Finally, the Captain had to make a call: "Close it." Steve sighed reluctantly, his eyes locked on the Heaven's with as much will and hope as everyone elses. Maria could practically see the prayers that the billionnaire would somehow find a way back to them gleaming from his orbs.

It wasn't looking good. She gulped back her anxieties and turned her gaze upwards again. He had to make it, she thought. It wasn't fair. He risked his life so casually to put the whole city out of danger ...it wasn't fair, and Maria willed with everything she had that they'd see a flash of red amongst the slowly closing blue. Romanov was starting to close the portal.

"Please." she murmured to the skies.

Dread started to settle in her heart, the last of the blue fringing away. Her life was saved, the danger was gone... so why were tears tracking through the dirt on her face, thicker and faster than she would have thought possible?

It wasn't fair, she thought, a shoot of anger flaring through her. Why did all the wrong people always have to die?

The last of the portal fizzled away.

Maria's knees felt weak with horror, and suddenly she hated herself. If it weren't for Tony she'd be dead. Why had he saved her? If the world wanted a life, it should have taken hers - God only knows Tony could do more good in the world than she ever could! If only he could live, she thought, she'd happily take her rightful place with death.

But a part of her knew that even if Tony had let her fall and die, he still would have taken the missile. Her death would have solved nothing. There would have just been two tragedies rather than one.

Still, the guilt ate her up inside and she let it, willingly.

Then a solid shape blurred from the portal sight, red and gold glinting in the glorious sunshine. The smile finally cracked on Maria's face, a sigh of absolute relief leaving her aching lungs. _Incredible_, she thought, _he'd made it. So close..._

He'd saved her, saved the city, escaped the blast and had made it back in one piece! _Mind you_, Maria's mind started to prick worryingly, the smile slowly slipping from her face, _he was moving awfully fast._ She knew he must have flown at an incredible speed to avoid the bomb but still... this looked too much like falling for her to relax. It was too uncontrolled. Too reckless. Even Tony wouldn't be that careless now.

_Fly_, she willed, not liking the speed he was falling at. Why weren't his jets blazing? Why wasn't he flailing at least? Her throat ran dry.

Thor's hand cupped Maria's shoulder and moved her gently away from him. "He's not slowing down." So she wasn't the only one thinking it, Maria thought as Thor's stiff words rumbled darkly from his body. The familiar magical whoosh of Thor's swinging hammer sung through her ears.

_Get him_, she thought, her body too numb to speak the words out loud. Stark plumetted lower and lower, a cruel echo of exactly what he'd saved her from the first time. _Somebody get him, please!_

The genius's body started to fall through the sky scrapers, and hope fell with it. He was going too fast. It would be mere seconds then it would be too late to save him. Maria's hands rose to cover her mouth, holding back the horror as she watched Tony Stark fall to his oblivion.

Then a green shape crashed into him and their two bodies ground down the nearest building with a grate. Maria wanted to flutter her eyes shut with relief, but she found herself running instead, running with Thor and the Captain as the Hulk lowered Tony's body down the building. The pair crashed down onto the ground. Maria flung herself down at Tony's side as the Hulk straightened away from him.

"Oh my God." she breathed, hands hovering uncertainly in the air as her eyes scoured over his face. He wasn't moving. He wasn't even breathing.

Her palms flew to the center of his chest - the light in his suit dim - before she realised how pointless it was. She couldn't do chest compressions through a metal armoured suit! Her mind started to flitter with panic. Her fingertips brushed helplessly over Tony's chest again, tears forming at the back of her eyes. She didn't know what to do.

Her hands moved up to cup her face before she started to cry.

"Wait." Steve's voice said from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at the superhuman. "Do that again."

A frown nudged into her brow. "What?"

"The light." he clarified urgently, and Maria turned back round to face the genius's unconscious body. Her hands hovered over his torso. "Touch the light in his chest again. It flared up. It brightened when you touch it."

Maria's fingers still hovered. "But... I don't understand." she stammered. "There's no light. There's nothing there."

That part of his suit looked dead; the faint glimmer of light that had been there was flickering. Maria didn't understand. It lit up when she touched it? Tentatively, she lowered her hands back down and flattened her palms over the deadly cool metal. And through her fingers she saw it - the sudden blaze of white light from Stark's chest, illuminating from his suit. Maria's breath hitched; it was a miracle, but... why? He was as good as dead a moment ago.

Then something inside her ripped and she cried out. Her body jerked forward over Stark's as the pained sensations from the Tower took over again. Only this time, she was in control. Maria knew what was happening now. She gritted her teeth against the cries and forced her hands to stay down.

Steve went on. "His suit runs on energy -"

"And Maria is full of energy." Thor finished for him, fist clenching around Mjolnir.

"If she gives him her power it might bring him back." Steve breathed on. "It's his only shot."

"Will work on just the suit though, or the man inside it?"

Steve's head shook lightly. "I don't know. There's nothing else we can do though. There's a core in his body. If the energy can reach that it might give the rest of him the jolt he needs."

Maria fought the trembling that threatened her body but she couldn't help it in the end. She shook like a leaf; it hurt just as much as it had when Loki had drawn it from her. It's for good this time, she told herself, the only thing that kept her going.

Her eyes screwed shut against the endless stings of pain. She wouldn't cry. Not in front of Thor; if ever there was a time to be his little warrior, this was it.

She would prove herself every bit a hero as they were, prove she was worthy of him in some way. And Stark had saved her life. It was only fair she tried to return the favour. Her heart felt like it was splitting in two and she forced her joints to lock in place so she couldn't surrender to the fleeful urges.

Thor watched with a pained conscience. His throat ran dry watching Maria's face pale as it did, her cry still fresh in his ears. His heart clenched. "How much is enough?" He asked of whoever would answer him. He wanted it to stop. He didn't want Maria in pain. She looked in agony; her barrier of teeth broke and sobs and cries gave finally over, stabbing into Thor's heart like daggers. "Enough." He growled, and dropped to his knees beside Maria, arm wrapping around her body to pull her away.

She shrugged him off. "No!" Her pained, glistening eyes lifted to his and Thor's heart broke all over again. "I have to." she gasped, a bead of sweat dropping from her hairline. "It's telling me. The - _ah! _- energy. I have to. Then I can be free. Then h-he can be okay. Please."

Thor just stared at her. Maria was indeed a remarkable woman. He hadn't known how much drawing the energy out of her body had hurt her, but now he could see it and he wished more than anything she did not have to carry this burden. And now she was embracing that same pain willingly for the sake of bringing back another. He didn't know what to do. All he could do was wait until it was over, for when he could hold her in his arms again.

It felt like a lifetime, watching his Maria suffer so, but he didn't dare try and pull her away. She'd hate herself if she failed, even if it was his fault. He knew that suffering would last a lot longer than these few minutes reviving the billionaire.

Aim for the core, she tried to will. She didn't possible feel like she had the power to direct this energy but if that was what Tony needed, she had to try. Aiming for the core in his chest was his best hope. She tried to picture it; the glowing light underneath his shirt, like back on the Helicarrier before she'd seen him in his armour. She thought of that, and bringing it back to life.

Then a bolt shot through her and she was thrown back hard.

Her head smashed down into the pavement and she yelped, hand flying to her skull. Then her body froze.

She stared at her bloodied fingers with wonder as Thor flew to her side. Her hand, her wrist... it didn't hurt anymore. The wrist that had been broken was absolutely fine again. Her eyes flickered down to her torso and tentatively she pressed against her collar bone. Fine. Her hand roamed down, experimenting with her ribs.

A smile gasped over her lips: she was healed. Everything that had been cracked and broken before was as solid and healthy as it had been back in England! She was fine again.

Thor's eyes washed over her with concern and seemed to piece together the same pieces she did. His hands reached for her shoulders and eased her to sit upright, Maria still staring at her hand with glazed eyes. She still couldn't believe it. Thor gently reached to the side of her head, brushing his thumb lightly over where she'd crashed down onto the road. It came back red.

Maria tried to click the rest of the puzzle together, her fuzzy head not making things easy. She'd been thrown back - was that good or bad? And she was healed. So many confused thoughts ran through her head, making it pound harder. She leaned into Thor's palm unconsciously.

Then her eyes flickered under his arm, just in time to see Tony's body jolt to life. His eyes shot open, his mouth gasped in a breath. Maria traced every rapid rise and fall of his chest and thanked God for it, too numb to do anything but stare under her god's arm to see the genius jerk back to life on the concrete.

"What happened?" Stark gasped, chest heaving. His eyes scanned around the team looming over him wildly. "Please tell me nobody kissed me!"


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

_"We won." Steve breathed, as if he couldn't quite believe it._

_Maria didn't think any of them really could, all staring around at the still streets with wonder and disbelief. All that fighting, all that effort… it was almost too good to be true that it had paid off._

_Tony's head thudded back down on the road, exhausted. "Alright... hey... alright, good job guys. Let's not come in tomorrow." he gasped. "Let's just take a day..." Suddenly his brow knitted together and his eyes focused on them more steadily. "You ever tried shawarma?" He asked. "There's a swarmer joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is but I want to try it."_

_A smile pricked Maria's lips, similar to the grin on the God of Thunder's face as he leaned over and clasped hands with Tony._

"_What's… shawarma?" she asked. She wasn't even sure she'd said it right. "Something American that we don't get in Britain? Like pop tarts?"_

_Thor chuckled and hauled Tony to his feet__.__ His hand remained firmly locked on his forearm, eyes meeting squarely, glistening with solid appreciation. "You are not the selfish man I thought you to be.__" The god rumbled respectfully.__"__But we're not finished yet." _

_Tony turned his gaze breathlessly to the Tower. "And then shawarma after?" _

Maria wanted to smile at the memories but she couldn't. Her face was too stiff, the weight of upcoming events dragging her down. She hadn't liked shawarma. Slices of meat from a spit just didn't cut it for her. For the hungry carnivorous heroes of Earth though, it had been delicious. She rolled over on the bed and her eyes and fingers traced the outline of where the bravest of the lot should have been lying.

Of course, he hadn't rested. Loki captive, he didn't trust anyone but himself to watch over him. Maria had missed him.

Dressing, showering, doing her hair… they all felt like such useless actions after fighting for her life less than twenty four hours ago. But she had to. She couldn't lie in the bed wallowing forever.

Running her fingers through her messy hair she felt the light bump on her head from where she'd hit the road, reminding her that the night before hadn't just been a dream. Hauling the shirt over her head, she was starkly reminded of the bones that should have been broken. Her ribs and collarbone tingled along with her wrist, the bones that had been shattered yesterday. Now, she was as good as new. She didn't understand how the energy had healed her so perfectly as the last of it had left her, flowing into Tony Stark but it had. It wasn't her job to question a miracle. Then she'd have to question Thor too.

She didn't linger long in the hotel room. There was business to be done, and she wouldn't miss that for the world.

Loki had to go back to Asgard and Thor was going with him. Maria didn't know how it worked but… she wasn't sure she wanted to know. What if he couldn't come back and she'd never see him again? What if all this fighting to be together ended in loneliness anyway? She'd never find a man like Thor. She didn't have to be a genius to know that much.

Closing the door behind her was harder than she thought it would be. She was all too conscious that she might just be sealing the end of a chapter of her life away with it, the best chapter of her life, the most wonderful, defining moments that had remodeled her into someone she didn't recognize anymore. And she didn't regret a day of it. Her legs carried her numbly through the hotel until they brought her out onto the strangely unaffected street. This neck of the woods must have seen very little action during the battle somehow. She walked slowly to where they had agreed to meet.

They would have all crashed at Tony's Tower but the police had it warded off for investigation. What was there to investigate? What on Earth did they hope to find? She pitied them wasting their time trying to look like they were doing the part when everything they would hope to find would be soaring to another realm within the hour. Amateurs.

They Avengers had stayed in various hotels across the city. Maria's had been closest to the meeting sight, but she was still the last one to arrive, all the superheroes gathered by the rail overlooking the city.

All eyes turned to her as she approached. She keenly avoided the brightest blue pair and settled to stand beside Steve, her hands fiddling behind her back.

She knew he'd be hurt that she was ignoring him and in truth, even she did not fully understand it. She might lose him forever – shouldn't she be making the most of the time she had left?!` She gulped hard; she couldn't bear it. The thought alone was just too much. She could feel his orbs, swamped with hurt and pain as they washed over her but she couldn't bring herself to look at them.

She looked to their side instead. Loki's orbs looked murderous over the mask that covered the lower half of his face. His wrists were bound but Maria couldn't help but wonder how strong they really were against him.

This was goodbye. Goodbye to the man that had tried to rip her soul from her body. And also to the man who had saved it.

The unmistakable blue light of the Tesseract glowed from within the canister in Thor's hand and Maria eyed it warily, waiting for it to whisk her life away from her across the cosmos. She could feel everyone watching her, her cheeks glowing under the attention. She wasn't going to crack. She wasn't going to speak, or look, or… anything. She didn't want to face the end.

Obnoxious as ever, Tony broke the silence: "Awkward." He whistled.

Maria glared at him, if Bruce's hard nudge to his ribs wasn't enough. The tears in her gaze must have crept through; Tony's eyes softened as his gaze linked with hers.

She cursed in her head, finally sensing the wetness in her eyes. Damn it, she thought angrily. So much for keeping her composure. She gulped hard and looked away, blinking madly at a random but fascinating spot on the pavement.

"Maria."

She'd barely heard the breath leave his lips before an unmistakable large hand cupped her cheek and was gently easing her face upwards. She didn't have the will to fight him. Her tearful, glistening orbs met Thor's mournful bright blue ones and she felt something inside her shrivel and die with misery. Her hand clamped down on his wrist as the tears broke through the barriers of her eyelids.

Her head bowed with her tears, but Thor's tender finger hooking under her chin guided her back to him. She bit her lip to hold back the sobs. Her lungs quivered dangerously.

"Don't weep." The god soothed, thumb stroking her cheek. It only made her cry more, tears leaking into his palm; God, she would miss him so much! Then the other side of her face was also warmed by the god's hand, wiping dry her other cheek. "This is not goodbye, Maria." His voice was low and determined, but soft and comforting at the same time. Maria wanted to close her eyes and bask in it, but she was drinking in as much of his gorgeous blue orbs as she could in the short space of time they had left. "I will not allow it."

"H-how?" she gulped, voice shaky in her throat.

His pause made her head dive again. Her hands flew to her eyes and she let herself cry. She didn't care anymore. Thor had freed her from an abusive brother, helped her see the joy in living again, given her a reason to smile every day, taken bullets for her… she loved him – she had every damned right to cry for him!

He didn't stop her this time. Maria only cried harder when he wrapped his strong arms around her body and eased her in closer, so she cried openly into his chest, tears running down his amour.

A part of her would hate herself later for making such a spectacle, she knew, but… she couldn't just pretend like she didn't care.

Her arms locked around Thor's waist and hugged him as hard as she could, as if she never wanted to let him go. Well, she didn't. His arms tightened around her body so much her shirt rode up her back, but neither of them cared. Thor buried his face in her neck and drank the scent of her in.

"I will come back." He breathed into her skin as Maria started to collect herself with shuddering breaths. "I don't know when and I don't know how, but I will. I swear it."

"Don't say that." She finally managed to choke out in a more solid voice. Maria pulled away and let her eyes mold with his, the full weight of their combined anguish travelling between their two gazes. "Please don't say that. We're both not good at keeping our promises."

He'd promised to keep her safe from Loki and she'd promised not to try and kill herself again. And how had that turned out? Badly.

Thor's fingers found hers and brought them to his lips. Where the action once fired her cheeks, all she could managed now was a small, sad smile.

"This is no mere promise, Maria." He half growled from the sincerity of his words. It sent shivers down Maria's spine. "I cannot live without you. I will return."

_I won't hold my breath_, Maria said in her head. All she let out on the surface though was a meek, lying smile. She was sure her doubt gleamed from her eyes though; she wasn't that good a liar and right now she didn't have the stark strength to try. Why? What was the point? Just looking at him made her heart crack just that little bit deeper. Why would she want to raise her hopes for? The fall would shatter her.

Her hand peeled from his and trailed down to his chest, closing into a fist. She pounded a light blow into his breast plate. "Come back to me, mister." Her eyes sparkled up at him with as much fake optimism as she could muster.

His sad but determined expression didn't change, his lips just hanging there parted for a second. Maria had no time to react before his hands closed either side of her head and his mouth descended on hers.

And then she was crying again.

Her hands fisted in his hair, at first to pull him away… but the taste of him was just so intoxicating and she just couldn't. He was the only thing that could comfort her shattering soul. She let him soothe her for now, even though she knew that in the long run she'd just condemned herself to a tortuous recovery period after he left. She'd need rehab to live without his kisses!

Her body arched forward, hands scrambling to touch every inch of him she could as she kissed him hard and urgently. He fired her to life. How could she possibly let him go now?

His arms crushed her body deliciously to hers, lifting her off the ground and she gasped into his mouth, loving it. The tears slipped between their lips, tingling their kisses with salt. A cruel reminder that this was no ordinary embrace.

Maria didn't even dare think of the future anymore. It just hurt too much. And once again she found herself cursing Thor for ever walking into her life in the first place. This pain was so much worse than anything she'd ever felt before, this fear, this dread, this iciness hardening over her heart now that her love was being taken away… it was like mourning her parents again.

The call for oxygen tore them apart, both gasping for air, their lips still hovering millimeters from the others. Maria's eyes stayed fluttered shut, just breathing in the sweetness of his breath.

Then he gulped the words she had been dreading.

"I must go."

Her hands rubbed the back of his neck, reluctant to let him go. This was the bit she'd been dreading; watching him leave.

She pulled in a shaky breath, trying to compose herself. She didn't notice the way Thor shifted slightly under her touch, fingers reaching into his armour. Only when the rose appeared before her eyes did she finally blink back to focus.

Her lips drifted apart in wonder as she stared at it. She'd completely forgotten. In the haze of attack, and fear, and battle she'd totally forgotten about the token Thor got for her.

"I never gave it to you." He breathed, his spare hand hooking under her fingers and pressing a hard, but loving kiss to her knuckles. It held all the conflict of emotions Maria felt within her own heart. Her unclaimed hand reached up and cupper the flower of the rose, the beautiful petals almost curving into her touch. "Take it. And remember me by it."

Her eyes flickered over the flower to his intense crystal blue gaze. "It won't last forever, Thor." She said quietly. Then what would she do? When she had naught but her memories to keep him in her mind…

And his clothes. Oh God, how torturous. Maria knew what shirts she'd be sleeping in from now on, needing to feel Thor's warmth around her in place of his strong comforting arms.

"It won't need to."

Her saddened eyes refocused on his, teasing a small smile once more. Again, she pretended she believed him.

Her finger trailed from the head of the flower down to the stem and pinched it lightly, just enough to hold it upright as Thor's hand fell away. It found her cheek, fingertips lacing in her hair. Maria let Thor's bright, almost pleading eyes hold hers, glistening with the same fragile emotions she felt inside, only his was cracked with bold determination.

"I promise, Maria." He breathed, his lips easing forward again. "You have my word. I swear it to you. There are not enough ways I can vow my return to you." His mouth pecked forward, grazing fondly over hers. "Wait for me. Please."

Maria's eyes fluttered, throat suddenly dry. The hand that wasn't holding the flower rose to Thor's on her cheek. "Forever." Her voice was far from steady.

Then the world seemed to stop.

Maria just felt unbelievably numb. She couldn't move as the god melted away from her. His body dragged reluctantly to the Avengers, his eyes following seconds later. Maria couldn't hear anything as he exchanged brief words with Tony Stark and then Erik Selvig across the group. She could feel anything since his touch left her.

He was stronger than she was, Maria thought to herself. She'd never be able to say goodbye. Her hands were trembling.

She could feel her eyes moistening again but refused to let herself cry, gulping back the anguish she felt as Thor stepped back to pick up the capsule he'd left on the ground. He lifted it as slowly as if it weighed a hundred tons. His glistening eyes pierced through hers.

Maria knew she must be crushing the rose stem with her grip but she didn't care, not even daring to blink as the god reluctantly held the canisters end to his brother. His orbs were swamped with the same absolute despair that Maria was sure was in hers. And she just didn't care about anything other than that. Not anymore. To her, as soon as that glorious man was gone, he took her life and her heart with her.

So she ran. Forward.

Maria threw herself at the god, running, pumping her arms with everything she had, knowing it only took vital seconds for the Tesseract to whisk Thor away. His eyes brightened and solidified with surprise. Again – Maria didn't care.

Thor's arm opened for her as she crashed into him, throwing her arms around his neck. His hand found her back and held her there.

Maria's ribs ached from the impact of his hard armour but it didn't stop her pinning herself to him, attacking his lips fiercely with hers. She didn't want him to go. She didn't. She wanted to scream and roll and beg like a child – but she knew it wouldn't be enough. He had to go. He couldn't simply _choose _not to.

She daren't think of the spectacle she was making of herself, focusing her mind only on the softness of Thor's lips, the urgency of their kisses. His reluctance was felt through the tense grip of his hand on her back.

She'd have her life to see the Avengers again. For Thor, she might only have the next two minutes. She wasn't going to forfeit them for nothing.

Maria fell back as her call for air grew too great and she heard Thor audibly groan, sounding brittle and weak. He was breaking, just as she was. Her arms slacked around his neck and his arm loosened around her waist, letting her touch ground again. His lips moved down with hers, hovering no farther than an inch away from her mouth.

She could feel his breath on her cheek, his gasping. "I love you." He breathed, as if she didn't already know it. His voice was cracking, along with his soul. "I love you."

Maria's eyes fluttered shut in bliss, heart breaking in her chest. She reveled in the words, memorizing the tone, the sound of his voice for however long she would need it. "I love you too." She sighed, a betraying dampness on her cheeks.

Thor's hand found the side of her head and Maria let him pull her into a hard kiss. She could feel all of his emotions in it; the anger that he had to leave, the frustration, the anguish, the love for her, the promise…Maria replied loosely, letting his being soak into her gently. Her eyes stayed fluttered shut and she basked in the essence of him, letting him lead her one last time.

Her hands fisted in his hair. God, she'd miss him!

By the time they were forced apart she didn't bother trying to hide the tears, only grateful that they were falling with silent dignity rather than noisy, messy sobs. Thor's thumb bushed over her cheek, eyes scouring over her face for as long as he could.

Maria peeled her eyes open at last and fixed them to Thor's, clamping her hands either side of his face, rose tangled in her fingers.

"Come back." She demanded in a surprisingly strong voice. Her jaw gritted to keep her composure, eyes burning with determination. "Don't you dare leave me. I swear to God Thor, I'll never forgive you if you don't come back. I order you to."

Her final plea. She'd appealed to his heart and now she appealed to the warrior in him. He was now bound by a promise and an order, a command that gave Maria strength as well as he. She could feel her insides hardening with strong resolve, feeling the control and power ripple through her tiny body. Thor's eyes never left her as her hands fell away from him, stepping back out of his reach; he would never defy her.

Her new found courage lent her composure, holding back her human emotions. Right now though, the adrenaline of ordering a god soared through her. Confidence rode with it. He wouldn't fail an order. The man in him wouldn't fail her heart and the warrior in him wouldn't fail an order.

Stepping away was easier than she imagined, drunk with fortitude. She watched, assured, as Thor's gleaming eyes drained in the same strength. His eyes were no longer tearful pools of blue; they were the determined, focused orbs of a warrior god, unstoppable.

Faith bandaged Maria's broken heart.

"Before the colour fades." Thor breathed huskily in an unbreakable promise.

The rose seemed to heat in her hand, as if knowing it was summoned to importance. Maria gripped it firmly. That flower now held the key to her future.

Thor's burning orbs severed from her for a second to glance at his brother, their combined grip never leaving the canistered Tesseract all through Maria's spectacle. When he looked back to her, Maria was reminded of the phrase 'get it over and done with'. As if the sooner he left, the sooner he could come back.

She read it in his eyes, cushioned with impatience, and knew she wasn't the only one thinking it. A small, satisfied smirk settled on her face – what could possible stop him coming back now?

She was still smiling, even as Thor twisted his canister end with a definitive click and the pair of them vanished, glowing bright blue around the edges before shoots of light a few meters into the air blurred them. When it cleared, Thor and Loki were gone. It had been less than a second.

Then the smile died on Maria's face as the truth came crashing down on her. It was sickening. Her spare hand found her stomach as she fought the violent urge to retch.

What could stop him?

Everything! His father, his duty – pure physics! The colour drained from her face in quiet, still horror, eyes staring at the place he'd once stood as if he would magically reappear. There was no hope in her gaze though; just mute, numb disappointment. The organ in her left breast turned to stone.

"So…" Tony Stark let out a low whistle, and Maria was vaguely reminded of the real world around her, the clad of superheroes over her shoulder. She didn't turn to see them. "If you need a place to stay, I can…"

His voice was soft. Compassionate. Maria's jaw gritted hard. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, the bitterest hero's comfort only stinging the hurt in deeper. The tears loomed again and her chest constricted against the breaths she was unwilling to take. She didn't want to breathe anymore, not without Thor. The height of that tower looked awfully friendly again.

A wave of ice crashed over Maria and her hand hung numbly at her side. The rose fell through her fingers.

"No." she murmured in a voice so broken, so defeated it killed her inside. Her eyes started to gleam at nothing, just … glistening. Lost. Lonely. Afraid. "I want to go home."


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Six days.

Six long, painstaking days of staring at the rose on the table, cradled in the small, humble vase.

Tony had sent it to her. All the way from America, after he'd picked it up where she'd dropped it that fateful day, and had sent it back to her, knowing how much she needed it. She hadn't realized just how much herself until she'd found it nearly half way across the world from her.

Thinking about it, Tony Stark had done her a lot. She was eternally in his debt: not only had he saved her life and her planet, but now he'd flown her home on his private jet, sent Thor's flower, paid her rent as if he'd known she would have no will to so much as leave her front door, let alone work…

And the thunderstorms had raged.

It was scary. A week of solid thunderstorms that refused to let her sleep, as if Thor was screaming down to her that she was not forgotten.

She felt like it though. Every step and breath she took echoed through the cottage, reminding her all the more that she was alone. She'd been alone for six days.

She was going to wreck and she didn't care. As soon as the rose was dead, she promised herself, she'd start again. For now though, she let herself be consumed by the hope, the prayers. She dressed every day in his shirt. She sat every day at the table. She slept there too, not wanting to let the rose out of her sight. Sometimes her brain would get so sick of the sight her head would swoon and she'd drop her forehead to the table top dizzyingly. She wasn't missing anything.

The light of the flashing storms illuminated the dark cottage as a bold fork of lightning cut through the sky with a roar. It lit up the hollow groves of her face. She hadn't been eating much.

The rose was aging.

The once crimson, silky soft petals were now stiff and waxen. She could see the hardness forming, shriveling the flower up before the creeping loss of colour confirmed the approaching death. Grey clouded the petal edges, edging inwards.

Maria was half sure the rose should be stone dead by now, but here it was, clinging to life. Perhaps Thor's godliness had enhanced it somehow. She was pretty certain that the colour didn't creep out the flower like that naturally either. Honestly, she wasn't sure if that bothered her or not. It was like it was clinging on… because it doubted Thor would make it without being bought some time.

The thought saddened her. Almost as much as the heart wrenching crash of thunder.

What if he'd forgotten her? It wouldn't be hard. There must be many more beautiful women on Asgard for him to choose from. She would be but a shadow on his memory, a time where he'd gotten to flirt with a human.

But as soon as the doubts rose, they were quickly crushed; it was love she'd seen in Thor's eyes the day he'd left. Love. Nobody could fake that. She remembered that gleam, so heartbreakingly pure, so devoted to her… he wouldn't cast her aside so carelessly.

So why wasn't he here?

Maria drew her knees up to her chest in the kitchen chair, feeling her head grow heavy with sleep. The sky outside was black, forked with yellow sparks of electricity. She had a maximum of two days before she'd be forced to forget about Thor and moved on with her life he had fought so hard to save.

Her eyelids started to fall, her mind slipping into nightmares of a grey petalled dead rose on her table when she woke…

A solid thud snapped them open again.

What was that? The noise came again. Not a thud. More like a bang. A rap on wood – her front door. Maria's heart was in her mouth as her eyes lifted from the kitchen table to the dark shape of her door across the floor. She just stared; then the thump came again, and she saw the structure tremble.

There was nothing patient about the 'knock's. Whoever was there wanted her. Now.

Maria could feel her throat drying rapidly, knees trembling as she slid from the chair, unfurling her stiff legs from beneath her. She wore nothing to hide her legs. Thor's shirt only stretched to the tops of her thighs.

It hardly mattered as she took slow steps to the door, just grateful they were keeping her upright. Her eyes were transfixed nervously: nobody called on her at her door. Especially not at this time of night! She hadn't even gotten so much as a phone call from anyone since she'd got back. No one knew she was here. It had to be either Jane or Jason or…

She gulped, not even daring to think his name just in case. She couldn't bear it if she got her hopes up only to crash and burn.

Her hands pressed against the wood of the door, bracing herself.

Then the wood creaked ominously and Maria frowned. Instincts had her backing away at the dangerous sound. She staggered out of range just as the structure crashed and splintered

The wood caved in over the kitchen floor spectacularly, splinters flying like daggers through the air as it shattered. Maria's arms flew over her face to protect herself, feeling the shards chip into her skin. Her mouth fell open in a gasp, just… were there even words to describe how utterly astonished she was?! Her body curled against the blast protectively, arms around her head, eyes screwed shut, waiting for the world to fall silent again. She could feel the wall against her shoulder, and didn't fight as her body slid down it numbly.

Heavy footfalls took over her ears as the groaning of the settling wood ceased and she started to relax her posture, creeping her eyes open to peer through her cowering arms and fingers.

Large fingers filled her vision, reaching down to her.

"I could not wait." A gruff, but apologetic voice, said almost begrudgingly. "When you did not answer immediately I grew concerned."

Maria's arms shot down. Her eyes were round and innocent as they gleamed at the giant than leaned over her, looking past the rough fingers to the bright blue eyes behind them, the wide, dazzling smile, the blond hair…

She launched herself at the god, ignoring his outstretched hand and fastening her arms around his neck with spirit. Her legs found their strength at last, propelling her at him. He staggered back as her body slammed unexpectedly into his, chuckling, his hand supporting her at the small of her back. He didn't complain though. Maria heard the metallic thud of Mjolnir hitting the floor as he dropped it to wrap both his arms around her.

His face nuzzled into her neck, breathing her in through her hair. "I've missed you." He sighed, his warm breath tingling against her skin.

Maria just hugged him tighter.

She didn't care he'd broke her door in. She didn't care that the cold air would flood the house, not to mention the harsh winds and water through the open doorway. As long as she had Thor, his strong arms holding her protectively, the roof could cave in and she wouldn't give a damn.

His arms crushed her body to his in an almost punishing hold, forcing the air from her lungs, probably re-cracking her magically healed ribs, but Maria loved it. Loved feeling his strength. Just knowing he was there was more than enough. With this power behind his body, his muscles, what could possibly tear him way from her ever again? She buried her face in his armoured shoulder, letting his raw power engulf her.

A sharp gust of wind blew through and skidded the vase across the table. It ran out of surface and crashed to the floor with a loud smash. The noise distracted them both, heads shooting to the side to see the shattered glass, the small puddle of water. And the rose. Lying beside Thor's bent knee.

He unpeeled an arm from around her and picked it up delicately between his two large fingers. "I kept my promise." He murmured, more to himself than her as he lifted the rose to eye level, examining its decay carefully. "Although, only just."

"Only just is good enough." Maria's hands found his face and steered his back to her.

They froze for a second, lost in each other's eyes. The breath held in their chests tantalizingly, knowing their lips were mere millimeters from each other's. Neither one made to close it or move away, just embracing the closeness.

"How?" Maria finally sighed, the sweetness of Thor's breath almost making her lose her mind, lifting her higher. Her fingers lowered to her neck and she could feel his throbbing, racing pulse. "How did you get back? The Tesseract…"

The god grinned and more of his intoxicating breath warmed her cheek. Maria eased closer without even noticing it. She was probably just reacting to the god's warm hand touching her again as he reached into his armour: pulling out something between them that Maria had to look twice to see. It was tiny. Miniscule. For a second she thought Thor's thumb and forefinger were pinching nothing but air, but then she frowned and peered closer.

Then the slim, pale blue sharp had become apparent. She recognized that bright blue shade, that glow of energy…

"Is that-"

"Yes." Thor beamed, answering her before she even asked, His spare hand clamped on the side of her face, thumb stroking over her cheek. "Father carved off a piece of the Tesseract for me. Its power is nothing dangerous, but it is enough to safely transport between worlds."

Maria's hand instinctively reached up, but she curled her fingers back before she could touch it, remembering herself. Her eyes were captured between the shard and Thor's crystal blue eyes that shared the same breath taking shade. "How long?" she gasped, unable to fight the smile spreading across her lips. She didn't care about the answer. She was just overwhelmed her was here in the first place.

"Forever." He grinned, fist closing around the shard. "It's mine to use as I please. A gift from Asgard, my father said. A reward. And I would gladly use it to spend my life with you."

"Do they…" Maria wasn't quite sure how to phrase this, nerves sweeping through her system. "Do they know about me? Your parents?"

Thor's smile widened. "My feelings for you are no secret." He said warmly. "I think my father gave me this gift for a purpose. All of Asgard knows of your name, knows that you are the woman I want at my side for all eternity."

The blush crept in Maria's cheeks, the heat a stark contrast to the chill creeping into her bones. She gulped, trying to ignore the 'all of Asgard bit'. "Eternity?" she squeaked.

"Your mortality is nothing of concern." Thor read her mind, fingers lacing gently through her hair to ease her close. The touch sent electricity through her system. "Asgard can make you immortal, then we can truly be together forever." His hand retreated back to her cheek, cupping her steady as more of his hot intoxicating breath swathed her face.

Maria pressed her lips together and battled with the threatening wave of emotion. Up until now, she'd done reasonably well to control herself. Now her heart swelled, aching inside her rib cage as utter relief, joy, thankfullness swamped it. She wasn't sure what to think of the whole immortal bit, knowing if she focused on it too much it would simply scare her. But the knowledge that it would give her Thor forever, living in paradise… it was overwhelming. Her body shuddered with her shaky breaths, Thor's hand on her cheek only making her lose control faster rather than stop it.

She didn't care, the first tear breaking free of her eyes. She had him – she gulped, hardly daring to believe it – forever. She had the rest of her life to be happy with him but for now…

She made up for the last numb week. For the days praying, thinking, waiting, sat at the kitchen table so stilly it made her bones creak from the sudden movement. Her heart had torn, bled, cracked, shriveled, hurt so bad she wished she could have carved it out of her chest to save her the pain.

But now he was here and she realized it was worth it tenfold. Easily.

Her eyes and fingers took over, desperate to refresh her memory of his every feature. Her eyes followed her fingertips, tracing his boyish grin, his strong neck, his stubbled chin, the strands of blonde hair that flopped obscuringly into his eyes… he was perfect. He was back. She let out a gasping sound that was somewhere between a sob and a laugh when she realized she'd never have to memorize him again. He'd always be there to fill the gaps of her mind.

His arms looped around her body again, holding her tightly and Maria felt her heart beat to life for the first time in a week, making up for lost time.

"I must be dreaming." She breathed to herself, her head tucked under Thor's chin.

Thor's hand found her hair and stroked through the locks smoothly, gently unpicking the tangles that she had abandoned for the past six days. "You are not." He reassured softly. Maria sank deeper into his embrace. "I am truly here. I will always be here."

Despite the warmth of Thor' body against her, Maria shivered at his words, still grasping them. The chill didn't leave her though, and she started to remember her shattered door.

"You b-broke my house." She forced out through teeth that were starting to chatter. The air was cold, goose bumps rippling her bare exposed skin from the severe draft. Her grin crept through though. She couldn't help it.

The god chuckled and stood, scooping his woman up in his arms as he did so. His bright blue eyes pierced through hers. "My apologies, my lady." He crooned in a seductively low voice, eyes glinting alluringly. Maria just melted, arms looping around his neck. His mouth eased closer to hers. "But we have many years to make up for it."

And just like that Maria didn't care. She'd mop up the seeping water in the morning, barricade her house some other day. For now though, Thor would keep her safe.

Her mouth closed in on his as they stood there in her damp kitchen. The touched fired her blood, feeling Thor's soft lips against hers, so wondrous she was forced to stop for a moment, frozen with … just overwhelmed. She was really kissing him again, the man she'd missed so much. She'd feared she'd never see him again.

Thor's mouth moved softly, his tongue impatiently venturing out to tease between her lips and taste her. Slow didn't do it for him now. Now he'd missed her. Now he was desperate for her.

Maria's hands clawed at his neck, fingers tangling in his hair as she kissed him back with as much vigor. She reveled in him dominating her, his arms crushing her lithe body to his. She could stay like this forever, sharing his hot breath, tongues dancing within the other's mouth.

They didn't stop even as Thor carried her up the stairs to her room and they settled underneath her sheets. Thor let his armour melt away, letting his soft shirt match the gentle surroundings of sheets and Maria. She soon fisted her tiny hands in the garment, lips kiss swollen and frantic as she refused to let him go. Thor hardly complained, easing onto his back and rolling Maria on top of him.

He could feel her shivering and let his hands run over her waist and legs, trying to work some warmth into her body. He was tempted to rip his own shirt off to offer her a second layer, but… he didn't want to break the kiss for anything.

It was hours before they succumbed to exhaustion, the emotional drain of the last six days finally catching up to them at last. Their kisses grew slow and tired, still molding their lips together in a vain attempt to prolong the moment longer. Maria knew it must be early morning by now, that her house would be ruined, her body freezing despite Thor's heated palms. Her lips melted from the gods and her body slumped against his, feeling herself rise and fall with every swell of his chest.

Her eyes started to droop, exhaustion washing over her, aching her every limb. She relaxed into Thor. "Don't leave me." She murmured, knowing she couldn't cling to consciousness much longer. "Please…"

Thor's hand found her head and stroked through her hair again. "I will never leave you." He promised, bending his neck to kiss the crown of her head tenderly. His hands followed up her body and ran up her side, over her back, tracing her shoulder and following the line of her arm over his own body. His fingers laced with hers beside his head, and gripped them firmly.

His eyes slipped shut and he sighed in content; he would never have to be apart from this woman ever again. He was hers to keep as she pleased.

The smile was mirrored on Maria's face against his chest as sleep claimed them, dreams of the life they would have filling their minds, until morning came and they could make them a reality…


	31. Thank You!

**Hey guys.**

**I know that to follow this story must have taken some commitment, so I'd like to thank each and every one of you who took the time out to read. It really does mean the world to me. I know thirty chapters is no short story, and to be honest I never anticipated it would grow as far as it did. I also never anticipated such a response! Wow :D**

**I got a bit of writers block during the end. That's why I took so long for the last few chapters. I guess I just didn't want it to end D':**

**And some of the comments you guys sent in... damn, they were hilarious! xD I'd like to put in a special thank you to:**

**Dr Pantalons**

**BlaqueCat13 **

**WulfLuvr22**

**I got so many reviews from you guys and it really means so much x**

**Check out some of my other Thor stuff. Small Bump was quite a hit, and Hush Little Baby's my newest little project. Vote on the poll - I need more voters! :P**

**I had a couple of people asking me to do, like, spinoffs of this. Like Maria going to Asgard and whatnot. I can do it. If you want. Let me know if you do 'cause if nobody cares then there's little point. If there's anything else you have an idea for (I got more, if you guys don't) then let me know and I'll do my best. I'm not sure if I'm quite done with these two quite yet ;) **


	32. Issues, Issues

**NOTE**

Okay, done a little spin-off at last. It's called Issues, Issues... so go and read and let me know what you think. There WILL be a babyfic, as someone's alread asked me for, so I'll keep you posted on further updates.

See ya. x


	33. You And Me

**You And Me**

Second spin-off, more sustantial than the first - Maria and Thor's wedding! Title is You And Me so Ave Maria fans should definitely check it out. Have yet to finish (planning on doing three chapter for it) but the first chapter is up, second is in motion and the ball will carry on rolling!

Next up - baby fic. I did promise.

Right, here's the deal: I have college work to do. I have other stories I'm in the midst of writing. But I'll try my best to write them with haste, but as the chapters are longer than with an average story and I'm ludicrously busy, don't expect updates as regularly as you might otherwise be used to with me.

Baby fic will be a multi chpater thing, not a one-shot.

If you have any other questions then put them in a review or message me and I'll reply by updating this. So check this again the day after you send you're requested information and I promise you the answer will be up here. PM's would be good, but public answers avoid me being asked the same question by multiple people. Everybody knows whats going on.

Any other questions? Requests? Shoot.


	34. BABY-FIC POLL

**THOR AND MARIA BABY-FIC POLL**

**Hey, I'm working on the baby-fic to come AT LAST and I've set up a poll for you guys to let me know what you want them to have - so we know what gender to go for when we do name polls. There are twin options and different types o twin pairings so... yeah, vote for your favourite and I'll get cracking.**

**See ya x**


	35. BABY-FIC!

**BABY-FIC**

**Okay, it's up! The next installment of the Ave Maria series is up for your enjoyment. It's called 'Everything Has Changed' and is sort of a combination of Maria in Asgard and Maria getting pregnant, so it should be fun :D You get babies, Asgard and even Loki, you lucky people!**

**The poll is still up so you can help decide what Maria and Thor are going to have, and when that's clear we'll move onto baby names. Eeek!**

**Hope you read and enjoy it. :D x**


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